The Ice Queen of Gryffindor
by eventergurl88
Summary: She had a troubled past, so Lily Evans cut herself off from all students. Rumours flew about her, until one dared to break those shining walls of ice. A pretty angsty L/J fic.
1. Prologue: One Hell of a Life

The Ice Queen of Gryffindor

  


  


Chapter 1-One Hell of a Life

  


DISCLAIMER: Not mine. Definitely. I mean, only my twisted mind could come up with something this cruel with such wonderful characters. It will get happier, trust me! I just had to set the stage...

  


Lily Evans was flying. Over hills, through tunnels, spiraling around and around mountains...she couldn't recall ever being so happy. She felt as though she didn't have a care in the world. As she passed over a giant lake, a giant gust of wind overtook her and she fell. Falling, falling...

"LILY!!!WAKE UP!!!!"

'Oh great. Another wonderful day.' Lily thought sarcastically as the angry face of Daisy Evans came into view.

"Up! This instant!" she shrieked, some powder falling from her face, a beauty mark sliding to a position near her right ear. Lily dragged herself out of bed and stood facing her mother, who promptly slapped her across the face.

Lily reeled for a moment, but looked her mother carefully in the eyes, which were a bloodshot greeny-blue.

'Great. She's been drinking already.' she thought sadly, as her mother inspected her face for signs of bruising. Satisfied that there were none, she straightened and looked pompously at Lily.

"YOUR sister left us! Here!" she thrust a note at Lily, who scanned it quickly, then handed it back.

"So what? She eloped with some guy and never wants to hear from us again. At least she's better off than we are!" Lily spat back, then turned to the cracked mirror in her bedroom, only to be yanked cruelly by her shoulder.

"WE have an important guest to entertain tonight," her mother hissed, spraying her face with spit. "And you will be the one entertaining! Here is your outfit." She gestured imperiously to a hanger. Lily's eyes almost popped out of her head.

"You want me to wear almost NOTHING?!? Is that a way to treat your daughter?!?" Lily screamed angrily, then realized she had gone too far. A vein in Daisy's temple began to pulse dangerously.

"You selfish bitch!" her mother screamed angrily. "This is the only way we can live! I have been a whore for my entire life, and as you can see, I'M STILL ALIVE!!!! You, a pretty young thing, will make loads of money and, daughter or not, you will sleep with whoever I tell you to! Do I make myself clear?" She finished her angry rant, her voice a sibilant hiss. Daisy Evans stalked from the room, slamming the door and making a few cockroaches fall from the ceiling. Lily sighed, and began to prepare herself for that evening. As she looked at herself in the mirror, she loathed who she had become.

'I'm a whore.' she thought bitterly. 'A useless whore, with no chance to ever become anything.' A fat teardrop rolled from her cheek, making her mascara run. She wiped it away angrily, then looked at herself in the mirror one last time before leaving. Her mother was looking anxiously downstairs when she saw her daughter, but brightened considerably. Lily was wearing a low-cut sparkling gold bikini top and bottom, with a sheer, gauzy material wrapped around her lower half and slit all the way up. She had golden eyeshadow up to her eyebrows, and her lipstick was so red it looked like she had cut herself. Her white porcelain skin made her look all the more like a fragile doll. Her mother smiled a slight smile.

"Perfect!" she exclaimed out loud, as all the other girls turned to look and admire (or glare jealously, whatever the case). Her mother adjusted the bikini top slightly, then forcefully turned Lily's glance downwards, to the main hall of the saloon they worked in.

"See that man?" Daisy said, pointing to a dark-haired, sallow man who looked to be in his late forties. Lily nodded and gulped nervously. "He is the one you will be entertaining. Now, walk slowly down the stairs, shoulders back and for god's sake, DON'T SMILE!" Lily nodded, and with a deep breath, walked down the staircase. The man's gaze immediately focused on her, and she cringed inwardly, hating the feeling of being scrutinized. The man got up and walked towards her, his gaze never leaving her body. She waited, feeling all the more like a doll being bought.

"You are Lily Evans." came the low voice emating from the man's mouth. Such a confident statement. Her mouth dry, Lily fought to remain expressionless as she nodded slowly. An evil smile spread across the man's face as his hand snaked around her waist, then went lower and lower...Lily suppressed a gasp and looked at the man. He pulled her forcefully across the room, and pulled her onto his lap. Both his hands held her down, but she knew it was useless to struggle. His hands were everywhere, kneading, poking, prying. Lily sat like a statue, her breath coming in quick gasps. Roughly, the man sat up and, with a grip like iron around her arm, pulled her towards the rooms at the back.

'The rooms...' thought Lily fearfully as they passed the guard, who nodded and handed the stranger a key. She was dragged to the farthest room and before she knew it, flung on the rough pallet with the man on top of her.

"And now, pretty silent one, let's see if I can make you scream." he said, his hand trailing along her chest. She fought to keep her anger in check, but she could hold it in no longer, and threw a weak punch at his face.

"Please..." she gasped fearfully. "Please..." The man chuckled evilly and pinioned her arms and legs to the floor. Forcing his mouth roughly on hers, Lily could feel her anger growing and growing. How dare he do this to her! He had no right! The anger built steadily, searching for a release and found nothing. The man continued his relentless assault, and now the anger was included with fear. 

'I HAVE to get away!' she thought frantically, and she closed her eyes, fearing that her head would explode with all this pent up emotion. 

"What the hell?!?" the man exclaimed suddenly as he noticed the girl was glowing a faint green. Suddenly, her eyes flew open, the irises a brilliant green.

The rage and fear flew around her head, searching desperately for a way out. She hardly noticed the man's confusion as the power built around a seemingly impenetrable barrier in her mind. The pain grew and grew, and finally she could take it no longer. A high-pitched keening came from her mouth and with it, the barriers in her mind finally exploded. And with it, so did the entire building.

"Oh crap!" she shrieked. "Mom is gonna kill me!" The power shrieked angrily, as burning wood, people and furniture flew in a whirlwind around her. Finally, after an eternity, it died down. Lily collapsed, completely drained.

A gentle face swam into her vision. "Here she is." a kind voice spoke.

"I'm sorry." she managed to get out, before fainting completely.

  


  


  


  


  


Well? What do you think? I'll probably post a couple more chappies before deciding whether or not to continue this fic. Trust me though, it will get better! Really! 

  


Please R & R? Constructive criticism just totally brightens my day!

  



	2. Ch 1: A Whole New World

3 reviews!!! WOOHOO!!! Special thanks to **PsYcHo-Me**, **Lavinia**, and **Tears of Angels and Fairies**(Luv that name!) for being such awesome peeps and amazing reviewers. 

Disclaimer: Like I said, only my twisted mind could come up with such a plot.

Anywayz, on with the fic; finally, Chapter 1!!!

  


Chapter 1- A Whole New World

  


Lily awoke groggily as the morning sunshine streamed gaily through the window. 'What a weird dream,' she thought idly, eyes still closed, 'though it would have been nice to blow up the whole damn saloon!' Her eyes opened slowly as she realized something quite odd. She was confortable for the first time in her life. 'What the...' She took in full account of where she was: lying on a neat white cot, amid other neat white cots, in a room she had never seen before. Lily sat up, staring carefully around her.

"Oookay..." she said quizzically, carefully examining some of the paintings in the room. She especially liked one of a wizened old man with a magician's cap. "What a cute little man!" she exclaimed, looking closer at the painting. To her great surprise and shock, the man in the painting **winked** and said "You're cute, too!" Lily jumped about a foot.

"AAAAAAAAAAAGH!!!" she screamed, and a couple of people flew out of various doors, holding some odd little sticks. She whirled around and pointed a shaking finger at the painting. "I-i-it talked!" she exclaimed. The man in the painting looked quite irritated. 

"Of course I do, honey, so do you!" he exclaimed. Lily, looking only slightly less startled, took a better look at the two people. One was a matronly woman, apron, cap and all. The other...a kindly old man, wearing an odd sort of dress.

"Um, hi? I really have no clue why I'm here, so I'll leave now, bye!" she said extraordinarily quickly, then attempted to hurry out of the room.She was stopped by the voice of the old man.

"Miss Evans, if you would not attempt to race out of the room, I will explain to you why you are here." Lily turned around.

"Um, sir, this sounds slightly odd but I heard your voice in a dream I had...I kinda, erm, blew up a saloon." The ghost of a smile drifted across the man's face.

"Miss Evans, as crazy as this may sound, it was real. You did, in fact, blow up the saloon." Lily looked carefully at the man.

"You're not joking." she stated. He shook his head, and Lily found that she had to sit down.

"Okay, so now I get an explanation, right?" Lily tried to sound sure of herself, but could not hide the tremor in her voice. The man sat down beside her on the bed.

"Miss Evans, I am Professor Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry." He shot Lily a meaningful look as she quickly put two and two together.

"HOLY CRA-" she shot a guilty look at the headmaster "-cker. I'm a WITCH?!?"

Dumbledore chuckled. "Yes, miss Evans. As your powers seem to have kicked in rather late, we have quite an issue: whether or not to place you in the year appropriate to age or your level. Now, seeing as it is the beginning of the summer, do you wish to study during the summer to reach the appropriate level, or..." Lily cut it quickly.

"Oh, yes sir, I'm sure that I can. I'm a fast learner." Dumbledore looked amused.

"Very well, miss Evans. We will take you to Diagon Alley later today. Now," his expression grew somber, "is there anything you wish to speak to me about?" Lily looked into his eyes and gulped. The saloon, that man...she shuddered and shook her head.

"No sir. Nothing at all." she said softly. Dumbledore looked at her carefully.

"Very well. I will ask Professor McGonagall to accompany you."she nodded as he got up and left. Madam Pomfrey quickly bustled in.

"Hello dear. I'm Madam Pomfrey, school nurse. Now, anything you want me to check over?" Lily looked at her cautiously.

"You're offering me help...for free?" Madam Pomfrey looked shocked.

"Of course, miss Evans! That's what we do! Now, anything that needs looking at?" she asked kindly.

"Er, well, my wrists have been bothering me for some time now..." Madam Pomfrey took this as her cue and began to poke and prod Lily's wrists, muttering something incomprehensible. Suddenly, the matron's face lit up and she waved the little stick. A jet of white light came from the end and wrapped her wrists in a cool, soothing touch. Lily sighed in relief as the pain receded.

"Thanks...erm..." she stuttered, not knowing the matron's name.

"Madam Pomfrey, dear." the nurse supplied.

"Right. Thanks, Madam Pomfrey. By the way, what's the stick?" Lily asked curiously. Madam Pomfrey gave a huge smile.

"This dear, is a wand." Lily burst out laughing.

"So you can do magic tricks?" she asked between giggles.

"Of course. Fleurasortia!" With that, a shower of cherry blossoms shot from the end of the wand. Lily laughed, dancing around beneath the flowers. Madam Pomfrey smiled at the exuberant teenager. 

"Now, it's late, so bed! No exeptions! I'll be in the other room if you need me." with that, she bustled off. Lily sank happily into the nearest cot and dreamed of a gorgeous ice palace with high, sharp, dangerous walls.

  


* * * 

  


The next morning, Lily was up early for one of the first times in her life. As she stood in front of the mirror, brushing her flaming locks. Her emerald green eyes stared at her reflection in the mirror, then suddenly at the stern-eyed woman who appeared behind her.

"Erm, hello....Professor McGonagall, was it?" she asked shyly. The professor smiled.

"Yes, miss Evans. Good morning to you as well. I had come to wake you up, but seeing as you awakened under your own power, would you care to join me for breakfast?" she said. Lily avoided her gaze.

"Thanks for offering, but I'm not much of a breakfast eater. Could we just go straight to...uh, Diagon Alley or whatever it was?" Lily asked hopefully. McGonagall sighed.

"Very well, but you must eat lunch. Understood?" Lily nodded profusely and followed the professor to a large fireplace.

"Now, to get there we will be traveling by floo powder, which is a rather interesting substance, but the lecture on that comes later in the year. Now, all you do is take a handful of the powder, stand in the fireplace, throw the powder down and enunciate 'Diagon Alley' very clearly. Understand?" Lily nodded her head once more and reached into the container. Feeling slightly nervous, she followed the professor's instructions and soon found herself whirling through a haze of green flame.

  


* * *

  


"Right, miss Evans, we've got everything except for your wand." Lily giggled slightly at the memory of the matron making flowers shoot out of her own wand. "Now, we must go to Ollivanders. Come along." The professor strode off into the crowd and Lily was hard pressed to follow. Once they had reached the musty store, met the slightly creepy man (Lily shrank back slightly because of past experiences) and tried about a dozen different wands, McGonagall had sat down and Lily was feeling extraordinarily stupid. Finally, after almost an hour and nearly half the wands in the store had been tried, Mr. Ollivander brought out a slightly odd-looking wand.

"Try this one, miss Evans. Pear wood and unicorn tail hair,13 inches with quite a knack for charm work."

Lily grasped the wand and immediately felt warmth spread through her fingers. She looked at Mr. Ollivander questioningly.

"Well, go on miss Evans, we don't have all day!" snapped McGonagall, beginning to get slightly grumpy. Lily quickly complied and was pleasantly surprised to see the same shower of cherry blossoms erupt from the end of her wand; only, hers were multicolored. Even Mr. Ollivander seemed surprised.

"That'll be 7 galleons, 12 sickles, miss Evans." he requested, and Lily handed over the special form that professor McGonagall had given her. Basically, it said that this sheet entitled Lily to anything she desired to buy, and to charge it to Hogwarts. From speaking with the professor, Lily understood that she would pay it back eventually, probably when she graduated.

The pair were walking back when they glimpsed Eyelops Owl Emporium. "Oooh!" Lily exclaimed as she pointed to a black owl with green eyes like her own. The professor sighed and the two of them moved slowly throught the crowd. Once they had reached the store, Lily went straight to the owl she had seen.

"Careful, miss, that owl's slightly grumpy..." the saleswoman said, then trailed off as she saw the owl pressed against the bars of the cage, hooting softly and being scratched by Lily. "I think you'd better take her, she's never shown a liking for anyone else." Lily nodded, entranced with the beautiful animal and wordlessly handed over her sheet.

Later, while they were walking towards the floo fireplace, Lily balancing a trolley full of all her purchases, the professor stopped her.

"Here, I'll shrink them so you can fit them in your pocket. All except the owl; you'll just have to carry her, I'm afraid." Lily nodded mutely.The professor muttered a spell and all the luggage shrank accordingly. Without another word, the two of them headed back to Hogwarts.

  


* * * 

"Now Lily, don't forget about..." began the professor but Lily cut in.

"Lunch, I know, I know." She grabbed a roll and showed it to the professor. "Happy?" McGonagall sighed and made a shooing motion with her hands, to which Lily gratefully complied. She sprinted out of the Great Hall, anxious to delve into her new schoolbooks.

  


* * * 

  


It was the end of the summer, and Lily had studied so hard that she had passed the test. The rest of the students would arrive in a few days; Lily was a little nervous. Every day, she let her owl, Émeraude, or Émi for short, out for a flight while she studied. Every night, she dreamed of that same castle of ice. And with every passing day it got closer and closer to September 1st.

  


  


  


  


  


  


WHEW!!! Done!! I'm sorry, the end of this chappie is kinda crap, but a) I'm tired and b) I have much more exciting stuff to get on to next chapter, like the Marauders....next chappie will be up soon, I promise! Please R & R, it gives me sooo much more incentive to finish the next chapter.


	3. Ch 2: New Faces

Well, here it is!! The next chappie!! Lately, I've been writing a lot of my other story (probably because I can relate to it more) but I figured that because everyone seems anxious for me to continue this one, I should listen to what people are telling me and WRITE!!!

  


Disclaimer: Yes, I would LOVE to own Harry, but sadly, I don't....*sniff* I don't even own this computer I'm using!!!

  


Chapter 2-New Faces

  


"Hey Sirius! C'mon, we're late!" called James Potter to his best friend Sirius Black as he rushed through the barrier to platform 9 ¾. The train was scheduled to leave in 5 minutes, and they still hadn't found their other friends, Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew, yet.

"Keep your hair on, James!" Sirius called back as they hurriedly flung their trunks into the luggage compartments and raced onto the train.

"Oops, sorry...sorry, wrong compartment...sorry..." James said, flinging open compartment doors and shutting them quickly before their occupants complained. Sirius sighed, tapped his friend on the shoulder and pointed.

"James, they're right over there, in our usual compartment! Honestly, did you have anorexia or something over the summer?" Remus, who had approached them, snorted with laughter.

"Amnesia, Siri." he replied. Sirius shrugged.

"Who cares? It's time for the start of another fantastic year with all our favorite people!" he said, and giggled in a high-pitched tone. Peter, who had come to greet them as well, looked at him oddly. James sighed.

"He always has too much sugar before getting on the train." he explained, as Sirius raced down the narrow hallway, banging on doors and yelling hello to people he had never met before. The remaining three approached the compartment in a more leisurely fashion, and, upon arrival, sprawled out on the soft seats.

"So, boys, what's our beginning of school prank?" Sirius drawled, one leg propped upon the window. James' brown eyes sparkled with a mischievous glint. He loved pranks.

Peter spoke up. "I thought that we could color the Slytherins Gryffindor colors..." he trailed off.

"Like we did last year." finished Remus, in a slightly bored tone. Peter blushed and James shook his head dramatically.

"No, it has to be new, fantastic, a real impression on the poor little first years." he said, gesturing wildly with one hand. Sirius had to duck to avoid being hit. He then straightened, an expression of pure glee on his face. 

"I've got it!" he exclaimed. The other three boys crowded close, and burst out laughing when they heard his brilliant plot.

"We'll give them a Feast they'll never forget!" James said wickedly, as they began to plan excitedly on which spells they would need.

  


* * *

  


"Welcome to yet another year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry!" announced Headmaster Dumbledore at the beginning of Start-of-term Feast. "Now, I must remind you that the Forbidden Forest is exactly as the name implies-forbidden. Our caretaker, Mr. Filch, wishes to remind you that all magic is not allowed in the corridor. As well, the Astronomy Tower is also off-limits unless during class time and should you be found there, with or without someone else..." A few of the more sensitive students blushed as everyone caught the implication. Dumbledore continued. "Points will be removed from your respective Houses. Now, it is time for the Sorting!" James shot a quick look at the rest of the Marauders, and gave a small nod. Each focused their attentions on the raggedy brown hat and, murmuring the same complicated incantation(although each with a few small differences), began to wave their wands in a difficult pattern. The hat was placed on the stool and, none too soon, each boy stopped and waited for the fun to begin. The hat opened it's brim, paused for a moment, and launched into song.

  


_Oh, you lucky little girls and boys,_

_you're in good hands, you know._

_It's time to really have some fun,_

_and put on quite a show._

  


_Though it may seem that it is the hat,_

_who speaks in rhyme just so._

_But no, 'tis us, the Marauders,_

_and you'll soon be in the know!_

  


_Now, the hat is here to sort you,_

_into the proper house._

_It'll take a look inside your head,_

_and maybe find a louse._

  


_There are four noble houses here,_

_but only one will suit._

_Gryffindor, the first of course,_

_and all the rest to boot._

  


_All Gryffindors are lions,_

_that much we all do know._

_We're brave, funny, courageous too,_

_McGonagall loves us so!_

  


_There's also ruddy Ravenclaw,_

_the brainy ones do best._

_They're smart, nice and chatty,_

_and pretty cool next to the rest._

  


_Hufflepuffs are loyal,_

_That's really about it._

_They do work hard, they're patient too,_

_and who knows? Maybe you'll fit._

  


_Last of all is Slytherin,_

_last is where they deserve to be._

_These slimy snakes will do anything,_

_to achieve what they aim to be._

  


_These four houses, each with merit,_

_Can hold something just for you._

_They will become your family,_

_and you will be theirs too._

  


_But now, on to buisness,_

_Explaining who we are._

_As we said, we are the Marauders,_

_watch and learn from afar!_

  


_Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs,_

_such noble men, so true,_

_but most definitely not afraid,_

_to give some their proper due._

  


_We are pranksters extraordinaire,_

_and Quidditch masters too._

_We like chess, Snap, candy and girls,_

_but mostly the last two!_

  


_Come to us if you need a Dungbomb,_

_or some help to fly your broom._

_'Cause yes, we are the Marauders,_

_and we are the teachers' doom!_

  


The entire room was stunned for a moment, then broke into raucous laughter and applause, especially from the Gryffindor table. McGonagall looked as though she was about to have a coronary. Dumbledore stood up. "Thank you very much, Misters Potter, Black, Lupin and Pettigrew, for that lovely introduction." His blue eyes twinkled merrily. "You know, of course, that you will all receive detentions. Please meet me after the Feast. Now, if the Sorting may proceed..." McGonagall nodded curtly and stepped up to the stool.

"When I read your name, you will step forth and be seated on the stool. I will place the Hat on your head and it will decide where you should go." She took a quick look down at the list. "Anthony, Mark?"

A small boy walked nervously up to the hat and sat down. McGonagall placed the hat over his head and waited. A few moments later, the hat shouted "Ravenclaw!" and they clapped politely. Smiling shyly, the boy walked over to the table and sat. Sirius rubbed his stomach.

"Argh, I need food!" he moaned to the other boys. James just thwacked him over the head, though not very gently.

"Shut up, we'll miss the Sorting! Besides, the teachers think it's over, but it isn't..." the four boys shared an identical evil grin, then turned back as "Danahurst, Emily" was made a Hufflepuff. 

"Edwards, Samuel!" called McGonagall. A dark-skinned boy walked up, sat on the stool, and was promptly made a Gryffindor. James clapped heartily as the boy sat, the first Gryffindor of the evening. 'Eggerd, Madeleine' was made a Slytherin, and then...

"Evans, Lily!" called McGonagall, and the stunningly pretty redhead approached the stool, hips swaying with every step. James' jaw dropped and Sirius whistled softly.

"Damn! She's fiiine." said Peter dazedly, as Remus nodded dumbly. All eyes were fixed on the girl as she sat on the stool, crossing her legs daintily. The Hat rested on her hair for a moment, and then yelled out a choice.

"Gryffindor!" came the brusque reply, as some sighs could be heard across the Hall, and Gryffindors whistled and clapped.

"Quick, budge up!" hissed Sirius, and the boys obligingly made room. Lily walked casually across the floor, heading towards the table.

  


* * *

  


'Gryffindor...' thought Lily as she walked across the hall towards the appropriate table, hardly aware of the many eyes on her. 'I wonder why it thought I was brave...' She stopped, realizing she had arrived, and met the eyes of four boys, each staring at her. "Um, hey. Can I sit here?" she asked, gesturing towards a spot next to the boy with the long black hair.

"Sure, beautiful Lily, come right over!" he said cheerfully. Lily smiled and sat down next to him. "I'm Sirius Black, resident Marauder." Lily laughed a tinkly little laugh.

"So you're the one of the ones who thought up the prank? Brilliant!" she exclaimed, as the Marauders blushed to a man. Noticing their discomfort, Lily continued. "Why not introduce me to the other Marauders?" Sirius snapped out of his daze.

"Sure, that's James next to me, Remus across from me, and Peter next to Remus." She smiled at each one, before turning back to the Sorting, as 'Henderson, Jimmy' was made a Gryffindor. She heard the boys whispering behind her, and smiled slightly. 'I guess boys will be boys.' she thought wryly, as she felt an unfamiliar arm slip around her shoulders. She stiffened immediately, green eyes flashing. 

_Trapped, please, let me go, no, don't, please no, don't hurt me, save me, prying fingers, iron grip, let me go, pain, rage, fear, anger, LET ME GO..._

She shook her head slightly, clearing it of old memories, and turned it, seeing only a charmingly smiling Sirius behind her, his arm around her. Lily sighed a little bit and smiled as well, turning back to the Sorting. She saw Sirius give the boys a thumbs-up out of the corner of her eye and shook her head slightly. As 'Xiangho, Hai-yen' was made a Ravenclaw, Dumbledore stood up once more.

"After the Feast, the first years will be led to their appropriate dorms. Lily Evans is a third-year, however she will also need to find her way around. I hope all the students will be welcoming to them all. Daffodil! Erumpent! Squiggle! Cream!" He clapped his hands, and the food miraculously appeared. Feeling the arm being removed from her shoulders, Lily looked over at the Marauders and saw them concentrating very hard at the Slytherin table. Looking over, she saw things moving slightly at the very same table. Trying to stifle her laughter, she watched as all hell broke loose.

As a greasy-haired boy reached for a bowl of mashed potatoes, it seemed to keep moving itself out of reach. Frowning, he reached harder, and before he knew it, the bowl had levitated and promptly emptied it's contents over his head. Similar events were happening with bowls of turnips, tripe and anything currently being reached for. Spoons were mysteriously reaching into dishes and flinging whatever they had scooped up at random Slytherins. Pitchers of pumpkin juice overturned, staining whatever it touched a bright orange. And last but most definitely not least, food spilled on the tablecloth rearranged itself to form the words 'Finally! An excuse for Snape and Malfoy to wash their hair!'. 

The Hall was in an uproar once more as the boys rearranged their faces into expressions of casual surprise and turned around. Lily grinned widely, as others at the table snickered among the angry shrieks heard from the Slytherin table. McGonagall looked ready to explode.

"Potter! Black! Lupin! Pettigrew! That is ENOUGH!" she yelled angrily. James spoke, a hurt expression on his face.

"But Professor, why do you automatically assume that it was us?" he asked in a self-deprecating tone. McGonagall's face resembled a comic study- she was torn between anger and shock.

"Well....was it you?" she asked, slightly more softly. James shrugged, his trademark grin making his appearance.

"Of course. Who else could it be?" he said loudly, his brown eyes twinkling. McGonagall was silent. A vein was pulsing in her left temple.

"You will all see me after speaking with Dumbledore." she said finally, her voice a deadly whisper. Her eyes popped dangerously as all the Hufflepuffs and quite a few others cringed inwardly. "You may now continue with the Feast." she finished with one final glare at the Marauders and happy chatter resumed.

"Good work, boys." drawled Sirius lazily as he helped himself to some chicken. "Maybe we'll break the records for detention this year." Lily turned to look at him.

"Now why is that something to be proud of?" she questioned, delicately taking a bite of her salad. 'Mmm, carrots, red peppers, tomatoes...heaven!' she thought as she chewed thoughtfully, still looking quizzically at Sirius who looked shocked.

"Lily, Lily, Lily...how could you say such a thing?" he said dramatically. Lily giggled. "We MUST leave our legacy behind. How else will we keep Hogwarts entertaining after we leave?" James smirked.

"We could always enchant the portraits to be us." Sirius' eyes lit up at his suggestion

"Ah, Prongsie, that can be NEXT year." said Remus cautiously. Peter nodded, looking almost like a bobble-head doll.

Sirius sighed. "Fine, boys, but now it is time for FOOD!!!" And with that, a hungry glint in his eyes, he launched himself at the massive spread.

  


* * * 

  


"Oh my god...I don't think I'll be able to move..." groaned James as Peter and Remus hauled him to his feet after the Feast. Lily smirked as Sirius moaned and rubbed his stomach.

"Well, you didn't have to eat that much, did you..." said Peter, wagging a finger in their faces. Remus sighed and turned to Lily.

"They always stuff themselves, the greedy pigs. We'll see you back at the dorms once we get our punishments." he explained, and before she could say another word, the four of them were gone, leaving Lily to try and figure out how to get to the dorms on her own.

'How nice of them.' she thought ironically, and as she turned to leave the Great Hall, she was stopped by a boy with blonde hair and steel-gray eyes. Before she could move, he swooped down and kissed her hand.

"Hello, Lily," he said in a tone that she supposed should be seductive. "My name is Lucius Malfoy." He looked at her almost imperiously. 'My, what a slimeball...' she thought, listening to him prattle on about his family. 'Now, Lily!' she chided herself, 'you've hardly met the guy, get to know him a bit better before you pass judgement!'. She turned her attention back to him.

"...And the Malfoys have been one of the purest-blooded wizarding families to date. But now, the real reason I came to speak with you, miss Lily." Lily arched a delicate eyebrow.

"Oh?"

  


* * *

  


Dumbledore looked sadly at the girl speaking to Mr. Malfoy at this moment. 'I shall have to tell her tomorrow, so she will be forewarned...' he thought, but was distracted from his thoughts by the arrival of a dark-skinned woman who seemed to flow silently to his side. His face brightened as he turned to her.

"Will you be so kind as to join me in my office tommorow, say, after breakfast?" The mysterious woman nodded silently and, turning, walked off, making no more noise than a panther on the prowl. Dumbledore looked at her as she walked away: the dangerous stance, the perfectly balanced way of moving, the silence...she was the perfect woman for the job.

  


* * *

  


"You see, being quite adrift at the moment, I was wondering if you wished to accompany me for a walk around the lake tommorrow evening." His eyes looked like cold steel, and his tone made it quite clear that he would not accept a refusal. Lily blinked, slightly stunned. 'Geez, that was fast.' she thought, as Lucius shifted impatiently from foot to foot. She shrugged nonchalantly.

"Sure, why not Lucius." He nodded curtly, and with yet another kiss to her hand, promptly left. Lily found herself once more lost in the vastness of the Great Hall. 

"I can't believe that, all the time I was here at Hogwarts, I never found out where the common rooms were!" she exclaimed loudly to the empty room and, finally noticing she was completely alone, hurried from the Great Hall.

As she hurried through deserted halls, she finally came upon a painting she recognized.

"Hello, Violet!" she exclaimed pleasantly to the elegant woman dressed in purple velvet. The paintings' expression brightened when she saw Lily.

"Why, greetings, Lillian!" the woman said, and Lily winced. She hated being called Lillian.

"Do you think you could do me a favour, Violet?" she asked cautiously, and the painting smiled warmly.

"Of course dear. What is it?"

"Well, I never quite found out the way to the common room..." she started, but the woman in the painting cut her off.

"Ahh, I thought so. Let me see....Gryffindor, probably?" Lily, stunned, nodded slightly. The woman trilled her appreciation.

"Oh, wonderful, my friend the Fat Lady guards it! Come, I'll lead you there!" And with that, Violet was off like a shot, and Lily was hard pressed to keep up with her. Past sleeping paintings, through the moving stairwell, around darkened corridors, she finally arrived at the famous portrait of a woman in a pink silk dress. The woman looked at her imperiously.

"Password?" she said, and Lily looked helplessly at Violet. The woman in purple winked, and with a few whispered words to the Fat Lady, she nodded and the portrait swung open to reveal a cosy, crimson common room. 

"Wow..." said Lily, speechless, and with a smile of thanks to Violet, entered the room where she saw three other girls about her age, who immediately rushed over to her.

"Oh my god, are you Lily Evans? We've been looking all over for you, we heard you were supposed to room with us!" said the blonde-haired girl with big blue eyes.

"You're so pretty! You have to tell us ALL your beauty secrets!" gushed the second, a cute black-haired girl with brown eyes.

"Yeah! We can stay up late, have makeovers and do all sorts of fun stuff!" exclaimed the third, a light brunette with bouncy curls. Lily smiled cautiously.

"Hey! I'm Lily, and you guys are?" she said, and the girls giggled in a high-pitched tone.

"Oops, sorry, I'm Ally." said the blonde once they had finished giggling.

"I'm Michelle." said the raven-haired girl.

"And I'm Alicia." said the brunette. They began to giggle once more.

"So Lily, why were you late?" inquired Ally delicately, as the other two tried to stifle their giggles. Lily grinned mischievously.

"Oh, Lucius Malfoy was just asking me out." she said nonchalantly.

"LUCIUS MALFOY!?!?!?" the trio screamed in unison, and disolved into giggles even more loud and raucous than before. Lily shrugged.

"So? Yeah, he's cute and all, but still..." Michelle put her arm around her, and the three of them forcefully pushed Lily up to the dorm that she assume dwas theirs.

"Honey," began Michelle once they had all sat down. "Lucius Malfoy is ONLY one of the hottest guys in the school! He's so dreamy, handsome, rich..." she sighed and Alicia poked her sharply in the side.

"Anyways," Alicia continued, "He's a real gentleman. Word says that he only goes out with people he really admires-even considers for marriage!" Ally shook her head.

"Darling, you know that's not true," she said, flicking a speck of dust off an immaculately manicured red nail. "Only because he doesn't scoop up every available whore in the school doesn't mean he has those kind of morals." The three of them turned to Lily.

"So, honey, have fun with him! Now, it's time for girl talk-tell us everything!" exclaimed Michelle. Lily sighed inwardly, and the four girls began to talk animatedly.

  


* * * 

  


"MALFOY?!?" hissed Sirius angrily once all four boys were firmly ensconced in their own dorm. They had been passing by the girls dorms and had overheard that particular piece of information. The expression of betrayal was evident on each face.

"How could she pick that piece of slime?" asked James angrily. The enmity between those two was especially strong.

Even Remus was angry, having been the victim of Malfoy's taunts before he met the rest of the Marauders. "He's gonna pay for stealing our girl before any of us even had a chance with her." he said quietly, but angrily. Peter grinned evilly.

"It's time for a prank war." he said simply, but with menace, and agreement showed on the other three faces.

"Malfoy's gonna wish he'd never been born." growled James. Sirius sat up suddenly.

"Should we prank Lily too?" he asked, and Remus shook his head.

"Well, she probably doesn't know what he's like..." he said, but Peter shook his head stubbornly.

"She picked him. She deserves it, too." he said firmly. Sirius frowned, then shook his head too.

"Nah. Let's just focus on Malfoy, eh Jamesy?" he punched James on the shoulder, who seemed to be deep in thought. Finally brought back to the present, he nodded as the famous grin spread across his face, and the four of them put their heads together to decide exactly what embarassing prank they would play on Malfoy the next day.

  


  


  


  


  


  


Whew, this chappie is FINALLY done! And no, this will definitely not be a Lucius/Lily fic! I hope you like; if you have any suggestions, comments, flames, or just plain praise in awe of my brilliance (yeah, right), please, please, please review! They help SOOO much with writing, especially this fic.

Luv you guys, especially **Stefanorkle**, **katelyn**, **Atlantis Forester**, **Lavinia**(yep, here are the Marauders for you!), **kate**, **Lizmarauder4eva**(Well, this won't exactly be a love/hate fic, no screaming fits, but they're not going to be friends for a while yet), **OriginalProxy**(That will be next chappie!), **Kguukrlleyr**(hope this chappie answers that question!)**SummerRain** and **shrimpy shorts**!!!

  


  


  


  



	4. Ch 3: Yet Another Revelation

Disclaimer:*sigh* I hate writing these...they always remind me that I own NOTHING!!! How very depressing...

I'm sorry I have put this chapter up earlier; I'm THRILLED with the response I'm getting with this story! I luv you guys!!

  


Chapter 3- Yet Another Revelation

  


The early morning sun streamed through the open window as the redhead in the bed closest to the window sat up slowly and rubbed her eyes. *Damn birds...* she thought grumpily as she hauled herself out of bed.*Why do they have to sing so bloody loud?!?* "BLOODY HELL!" she exclaimed loudly as she hit her head on the bedpost. She watched her roommates carefully for any signs of life, and when they didn't stir, relaxed. *Good thing they sleep like logs, or I would probably be dead now.* Finally awake, she decided to have her shower early and study a bit before breakfast. As she walked into the bathroom, she looked at all the various cosmetics spread over the vanity counter. *What on earth do they need that for? They have enough for their own drugstore!* she thought idly as she took out her cinnamon and sandalwood-scented shampoo, and hopped into the shower.

Once she had finished, and had emerged from the bathroom, she took a quick glance outside and noticed someone flying on the Quidditch Pitch, which she had found out about during one of her many explorations during the summer. *Wonder who that could be?* she thought curiously, and once she had finished dressing and drying her hair(*Thank god for drying charms!*), she realized she was ready for her school day at precisely 6:14 AM.

"Aw, crap." she muttered grouchily, and realizing that there really was no point ins studying anymore(she had practically memorized her textbooks over the summer), decided to head out to the Quidditch pitch and watch the mysterious flyer.

As Lily walked briskly out to the pitch, a black blur dove sharply from the sky straight at her. Nonchalantly holding out her arm, she continued walking as Émi halted her dive and landed gently on her arm. "Hey, girl." Lily said to her, scratching her under her beak, "Wanna go watch someone fly?" Émi hooted softly, and Lily chuckled. "I'll take that as a yes." she said, and walked through the wrought iron gates to the multicolored stands.

  


* * * 

  


Lily was not the only one to wake up early. James had been unable to sleep for the latter half of the night(probably the byproduct of his gorging at the feast), so he decided to go fly. As he did several loops and dives to let off steam, he noticed the oddly familiar redhead walking down towards the pitch. He watched the owl dive onto her arm and felt an odd urge to cry out to her, to warn her, but he shrugged the feeling off. *Why do I care? She's going out with Malfoy, remember?* he reminded himself, tearing his eyes off her, and continued his warmup. Spiraling up towards the sky, he dove suddenly towards the stands and stopped mere inches from the seated Lily's face. *Whoa...those eyes...* he thought dazedly as he stared into the jade pools. So full of emotion, so warm, they reminded him of a calm tropical ocean...* You idiot! * he raged at himself after a few moments. * Hovering there staring at her is not a good thing! * Shoving the fog away from his mind, he finally spoke.

"'Morning, Lily. Anything specific bring you out here today?" he drawled lazily. Lily looked slightly shocked at the broomstick hovering centimetres from her nose, but quickly regained her composure.

"Just admiring, is all. You fly really well. Are you on the team?" she inquired politely. James immediately perked up.

"Me? With my superior skills? How could I NOT be on the team?" James said grandly, with a mock-offended expression. Lily smiled and played along.

"Oh, please excuse me, oh great one, if this lowly one has offended you. I was merely making polite conversation. Oh, please forgive me!" she said in a fawning, obsequious tone. James patted her on the head.

"There, there, quite all right." he said, but stopped suddenly when he noticed she stiffened. "Lily? Is...er, something wrong?" he said cautiously. Lily looked at him, and he could not read the expression in her jade-green eyes.

"No, I'm fine..." she said, as James continued to look at her oddly. "Really." she said, and smiled confidently. "So, what position do you play?"

"Chaser." he said, and grinned the famous Potter grin. "The best part is playing the Slytherins and getting tons of goals past Malfoy, who's SUPPOSEDLY their Keeper." Lily gave a slightly strained smile, and James' face fell. "Sorry. I, er, forgot." Lily looked at him, anger and confusion building slightly in her eyes.

"How do you know that?" she said angrily, and James nearly smacked himself. *Damn, damn, damn...she wasn't supposed to know I know!* He smiled nervously at the girl who was now resembling a lioness stalking prey. "James...tell me." Her voice held barely restrained fury.

"Er...ah...got to go, see you in class!" And with that, James sped off, leaving Lily to wonder how on earth he knew that.

* * * 

  


After puzzling over James' reaction for a little while, Lily headed off to the dorms. When she got there, she almost fell over at the miasma of odours emanating from their room. Fanning the fumes away from her face, she came face to face with Ally, Michelle and Alicia, doing their nails and coloring their hair.

"Hey Lily! Wanna be a blonde for a day? I think it would look GREAT on you!" cooed Alicia, who was putting red streaks in her hair. Ally looked up from painting her nails a blood red.

"No, Lily has her big date tonight...wouldn't want Lucius not to recognize her, now, would we!" said Ally, with a nasty undertone to her voice. *What's she got stuck up her ass this morning?* Lily wondered idly, then decided she'd better go before she was poisoned.

"Yeah, er...I'd better head down to breakfast." Michelle giggled, and waved in a cutesy way before going back to painting her nails purple with silver sparkles. The other two ignored her. Lily shrugged, and headed down the staircase.

As she entered the Great Hall, she realized she was the only one there, except for Dumbledore and a woman she had never seen before. As she grabbed a plate, picked up a solitary piece of toast and started to eat, she was suddenly shocked by a hand on her shoulder. She whirled around, only to see the woman who had been by the Head table only a moment before. * HOLY...hang on. I didn't even hear her come up. Did she use magic?* Lily wondered as she stared dumbly at the woman.

"Professor Dumbledore wishes to see you. Immediately." the woman said, in a completely accentless voice that seemed almost alien. Lily shook herself out of her reverie.

"Sure." she said, and walked with the woman up to the dais. * Weird....* Lily thought as she went up the steps. *She doesn't make any sound when she moves.* However, she had no more time to think on the matter.

"Hello, miss Evans. Sleep well?" Dumbledore said, looking just as kindly as always. Lily smiled.

"Not really. I woke up early. Can I help you?" she asked politely. She was hungry for once, and that fruit salad looked really good...

"Would you mind coming along to my office? We have some things to discuss." he said. * Omigod! What if...* "Nothing about school, though." he added quickly, and Lily breathed a silent sigh of relief.

"Sure, why not, professor." she said, and they walked to his office. Lily noticed the woman was following as well. Once they had arrived, and were all confortably seated, Dumbledore sat forward slightly in his chair.

"Lily, I do have something serious to tell you, however. After much research, I have determined that you are an enchantress." Lily's heart almost stopped.

"P-p-professor?!?" she stuttered, practically incoherent. Dumbledore smiled, the same smile that always seemed to calm her down. Lily took a deep breath. 

* Wait till he explains, he'll explain everything, he always does..* her mind ran in little circles and she tried to calm herself down. "You're kidding, right?" she said, in a shaky voice. Dumbledore shook his head.

"You see, miss Evans, enchantresses are actually not all that rare. Most enchantresses are born extroardinarily beautiful, but with no magical talent at all, only potential. All their magical talent has gone to shape their bodies, and only the closed channels remain. Therefore, they appear to be normal Muggles, albeit extremely beautiful. Occasionally, very powerful enchantresses will still have some magical talent left, but the most recent one has been Morgan le Fay, in King Arthur's time. You, however, are an exception. I do wonder, though, why your power showed up so late." He gave her a penetrating look. Lily, still slightly in shock, was still trying to digest all this information.

"I'm an enchantress?!? Like that evil Morgan le Fay? Does that mean I'll be evil too?" she looked at Dumbledore, fear in her eyes. To her relief, he shook his head slightly.

"Miss Evans, that is like saying because you are a wizard, you will be evil. You do have much more power than the average wizard, that is for sure. Now...do you have any idea why your power manifested this late?" Lily paused. 

"Could anything trigger the channels breaking?" she asked, her mind finally beginning to work. Dumbledore thought for a moment.

"Great magical shock, excess pain...and possibly great emotional stress." he said finally, and Lily's eyes widened. * I was so scared, I was looking for a way out...THAT'S IT!!!* she thought excitedly, and she nodded to Dumbledore.

"You see, I was....er, trapped. I was trying to get out, and I could feel pressure building in my head. It just kept growing and growing, it felt like my head was going to explode! And then, something snapped, and all I can remember is stuff flying around me..." Lily babbled wildly, and Dumbledore nodded. Lily blushed as he cut her off. *Oops. Too excited. Calm down, Lily.* she reminded herself.

"Very well. Now, that mystery is solved! Well done, miss Evans!" He paused, looking at Lily. "Anything else?" he said, and Lily nodded tentatively.

"My mom. And all those other people! What happened to them?" she asked, a little anxiously. Dumbledore sighed.

"Most of the Muggles were fine, and they underwent Memory charms. They don't remember a thing. Your mother, however, was the first to awaken and was quite upset. One of the ministry workers, a certain Flavius Belcoddy, got slightly...er, angry, and made his Memory charm slightly too strong. She remembers nothing of her former life." He looked cautiously at Lily, and to his surprise, found her nodding.

"That's good. She wouldn't want to remember it...or me." she finished, without a trace of emotion. *I can cry later!* she told herself fiercely, willing the tears back out of her eyes. "Anything else?" she asked. Dumbledore nodded slowly.

"There was...some blood, near the mat where you were lying. It belonged to nobody who was still there, and there were no bodies. Any ideas?" he asked, as Lily's horrible memories began to return. 

*Flashback* 

_"And now, pretty silent one, let's see if I can make you scream." he said, his hand trailing along her chest. She fought to keep her anger in check, but she could hold it no longer, and threw a weak punch at his face._

_"Please," she gasped fearfully, "Please..." The man chuckled evilly._

*End Flashback*

"No, sir." she gulped, pushing them away. "None at all." Dumbledore looked at her searchingly, then sighed.

"Very well. But now, we come to the other reason for coming here. Because of your beauty and power, you may be vulnerable. Professor Aquila," he motioned to the woman in the corner, "will be teaching physical self-defense. Her classes will not truly start for a few weeks and she has kindly volunteered to teach you. With that, I leave you in her capable hands." He swept from the office, leaving them eyeballing each other.

*Oh shit. I am so dead....* Lily thought ruefully as the woman scanned her over.

"So...we cannot practice in here. Dumbledore has arranged a room for our use, which is through that mirror." Professor Aquila said in her strange voice, gesturing towards the beautifully scrolled and ornamented oval. "The password is 'Volo dell'aquila'." The woman looked at her. "You will be missing your morning classes to learn the basics, and we will begin to refine them as time goes on. Now, we go." The professor went to the mirror, softly spoke the password, and as it swung open, climbed down the flight of stone steps, leaving Lily to follow and hope to hell she would be alive by dinner.

  


* * *

  


"Did you see Malfoy's face?" chortled Sirius as he bounced down a flight of stone steps towards Transfiguration. "His hair, completely pink...his face made up like a clown...those floppy clown shoes...." he finished, laughing his head off. Remus picked up where he left off.

"The big clown jumpsuit with polkadots...." he smiled. "And the best part, when he tried to wipe the makeup off, he wrote 'I do birthday parties!' on his forehead! He was shrieking like a girl!" All four boys laughed, slapped a high five and ran into class as the clock struck nine.

As they all grabbed seats in the back, smiled charmingly at the girls who had turned to look at them, and in Sirius' case, winked, Professor McGonagall came into class.

"Today, class, we will be turning our desks into pigs." The class jumped into an uproar.

"Geez, for once we actually do something FUN! Maybe third year will be better!" James said to Sirius, as the reactions around them were similar. McGonagall held up a hand for silence.

"You must follow my instructions exactly, or your desk will turn into some other creature, usually for the worse. Now, this is the incantation: 'Piggo, piggere...'

James and Sirius tuned out, as usual. 

"Hey, Jamesy, where's the hot redhead this morning?" Sirius asked, insolently leaning back in his chair. James shrugged.

"I dunno. She wasn't at breakfast. But I did see her this morning. AND..." he said more loudly, as Sirius started to speak. "Don't...call...me...JAMESY!" Sirius smirked.

"Sure, whatever...Jamesy." Seeing the death glare James was giving him, he quickly changed his mind. "Er...James. Right. So, back to Lily?"

James shrugged. "Yeah, I went flying this morning. She was there too, we talked for a little bit and yeah, I kinda, erm, let slip about Malfoy..." James felt a slight flash of sadness and anger at the aforementioned boy. * What the hell? What's wrong with me? * he thought angrily.

Sirius solved the problem unknowingly by thwacking James over the head, thus distracting him. "Jamesy, you dunce! Now she'll be angry at all of us!" James shook his head.

"Nah, lucky for you blokes she only knows that I know...I'm doomed..." he moaned, and Sirius' expression brightened.

"All right, then. She'll just kill you, and I can comfort her afterwards." He looked around the classroom, and was startled not to see a head of flaming red hair.

"Hey, where is she anyways?" James shrugged.

"I dunno...hopefully far away from me. It might make my lifespan a little longer!" * Not to mention help my concentration.* he thought wryly. Sirius snickered, and they both turned their attentions back to class.

  


* * *

  


"Much better, miss Evans!" exclaimed professor Aquila as Lily relaxed marginally. Checking her watch, she realized it was almost noon. * Holy shit...* Lily thought exhaustedly, though keeping a wary eye on her teacher, who had attacked her while she was not on her guard before. * I don't think I've ever been so physically tired in my life! * The professor nodded once more. "So, now we will go over ways to defend ourselves verbally." she prompted Lily, who sighed audibly.

"First, if the attacker comes at you from behind you, you can stomp on their instep, elbow them in the stomach, twist their wrists, bend their fingers back, push the soft part of their cuticles with your nail, kick them backwards if you have no other option, anything to make them let go of you. Then, run. If the attacker ends up on top of you, you must get him to release one hand somehow; scream, bite, wait for him to unzip his pants, anything. Then, twist your hips and throw him off you. Once free, run. The sensitive areas to hit are the groin, feet, stomach, nose, temples and eyes." she parroted. The professor nodded.

"Excellent, miss Evans. However, the running away is only temporary. As you progress, you will be able to incapacitate your opponent, with or without a wand. Now, this will be the only full morning session we have. Tommorrow, your lesson will right after classes are finished. They will usually last one hour. You may go."

Lily turned, every fiber of her body screaming for a hot bath. 

"One more thing, miss Evans. It is often wise to have a 'trick up your sleeve'. I suggest you tell no one about these lessons. The same goes for your enchantress powers." Lily nodded wearily, and trudged up the seemingly endless stone stairs.

As she dragged herself through the halls, she saw everyone coming down to lunch. * Let them stare. * she thought grumpily. She had the tendency to be a bitch when she was tired or angry. * If anyone says anything, I swear I will kill them. * As she headed towards the Gryffindor common room, she met her dormmates. * I hope they're in a better mood than this morning...cuz I don't think I can take anything else. * she thought. Fortunately for her, they were.

"Hey girls." she said wearily. Ally let out a little screech.

"Honey, have you walked through the castle like that? You look like shit!" Michelle exclaimed. Alicia looked worried.

"I hope we don't have a class that's too rough...I just did my nails again!" she waggled them in front of Lily, who managed a strained smile. Ally took charge.

"Lily, you head right up and have a hot bath. We'll catch up at lunch when you're awake. Bye!" Ally, Michelle and Alicia walked off. Lily spoke the password ("Plum pudding") and, after entering the common room, stared balefully up at the staircase. 

"You, are evil." she said to the innocent set of stairs. "Why do you have to be so high?"

"Lily, are you okay?" Remus asked quizzically. He had just appeared at the top of the boy's staircase. Lily blushed.

"Oops. Caught me in one of my not-quite-sane moments." Remus smiled a genuine grin.

"That's okay. Sirius and James have those all the time. So, the stairs?"

"Yes, I am EXHAUSTED and those things are way too high!" she whined. Remus sighed.

"I'll help you, on one condition." he smirked. Lily paused.

"What?" she asked, a note of seriousness in her voice. * If he asks me out...* the worrying part of her mind thought, but could get no further.

"You play chess with me. Please? The other guys suck!" he pleaded, and Lily smiled.

"Fine. Now, please." she said, flicking her hand in a mock-imperious way. Remus bowed jokingly, and levitated her up the stairs. 

"You rock Remie!" she exclaimed as new energy flooded her limbs. She rushed into her dorm room as Remus stared at her, slightly puzzled.

"Remie?" he said quietly to himself, then shrugged and headed down for lunch.

  


  


  


  


  


  


Again, I apologise TONS for making my wonderful readers wait. RL does take it's toll...exams...various crap assignments...Anyhoo, I will have the next chappie out sooner, I promise! Really!

Of course, now comes the big thanks for the reviewers:

**Stefanorkle**, **River Goddess**, **Lyz**(I hope this chappie came out in time and you are ok!), **Joyce**, **Sarah May**(Yes, I would love to do that too...but I have a whole plot line to follow!), **The Chalupa**(That sounds like such a kewl idea!), **Summer Rain**(Thanx...I spent a long time on the song!), **babygreenleaf**, **psychopatient789** and **FEAngel258**:

Yes, Lily is very open. This is still technically the beginning chapters, and she's really trusting and open because she's left her old life behind, and everyone seems so nice. That will change, don't worry...the plot has to develop a little more. Thanx for the comments though- I love criticism and questions, they help me write better!

  



	5. Ch 4: Personality Reflections

Disclaimer: Yada, yada, yada...not mine, never will be, etc. You get the picture.

  


Well, just to apologize for making you guys wait so long for the last chapter, here's the next one for you!

  


Chapter 4- Personality Reflections

  


Lily dragged herself out of the bathtub, sighing. *At least I can move without creaking now...* she thought to herself as she dressed and dried her hair. Taking a quick look at her watch, she realized lunch was almost over and she had classes. "HOLY SHIT!!!!" she shrieked and, throwing her books in her bag, rushed off to History of Magic.

She got there just in time. As she put out her parchment and quills, Binns floated through the blackboard and began the lesson. 

"Today we will be discussing the Goblin Rebellions in 1582. It began with the leader of the quarry goblins in Hamburg, named Grak the Grimacing, who protested because he felt his rations of pork weren't enough. He convinced..." Professor Binns droned. Lily, taking feverish notes, realized she was the only one. She looked up for a moment, and noticed that Peter and Remus were asleep. James was half listening, and Sirius was...writing? *What the hell?* she thought oddly, but was soon answered as a tightly folded parchment hit her on the back of the head. Turning around to glare at whoever had thrown it, she noticed him motioning for her to open it. Doing so, she found an ordinary piece of parchment. As she looked at it, however, words began to form.

  


S-Hey Lilykins! What's up?

Lily looked up, startled at Sirius. He was writing on his own piece of parchment, but stopped and winked at her. *Interesting. A note passing spell.*

L-Neat spell Sirius. 

S-What, not even a 'hello'?

L-Fine. Hello, Sirius.

S-You missed our prank this morning, it was great!

L-What? Tell me!

S-Oh, it was sweeeet...we turned Malfoy into a clown, clothes, makeup and all!

Lily paused, confusion written on her face. *I hope that was all in good fun...still seems a little cruel, though*

S-Lily?

L-Yeah, I'm here...don't you think that's a little mean? 

Lily wasn't prepared for the reaction she received.

S-WE'RE MEAN TO MALFOY?!?!?!?!? Lily, I don't think you understand; he's a greasy, slimy-haired git! He's evil, and if we can give others a laugh, why not?

Lily saw red spots. *Okay, harmless fun I can handle, but deliberate cruelty? Lucius seems so nice, and that's what the other girls told me! What assholes!*

L-Sirius, you prick!!!! How would you feel if someone did that to you?

S-What? No one would dare to do that to us, Lily! I don't think you get it: he's evil, we're nice!

Lily was so angry her quill was scratching through the parchment. The ink she wrote with was turning red, too. *That, that....* she fumed, as she tried to put her angry thoughts on paper.

L-Sirius Black, you FUCKING, ARROGANT, STUCK-UP ASSHOLE!!!!! How DARE you be cruel to him! Just because you're popular, you think you can do whatever you want! Well, I have news for you: You. Fucking. Can't. I thought you were a nice guy, Sirius, but now...

S-Whoa. Someone's getting a little bitchy. It's just Malfoy, calm down. Besides, why have him when you can have me? Come on, you know you want to...

Lily was incoherent. *That cheesy, pompous ass! All he wants is to ask me out? Well, fuck him. Fuck all the damn Marauders!*

L-Sirius. Never. Talk. To. Me. Again. Oh, and you can tell those stupid friends of yours that this goes for them too. 

S-Now, Lily, you don't mean that.

Lily pointedly ignored the paper.

S-Lily? Hello? Now YOU'RE being the stuck-up bitch! Malfoy's gonna hurt you, and no one's gonna stop him. Don't you care?

Lily read the note, then stood up, crumpled it up, and threw it in the trash bin. Going back to her desk, she sat down and began to take careful notes once more, ignoring Sirius fuming in her direction.

  


* * *

  


"I don't believe it." Sirius snarled to James as class let out and they headed to Charms. James shrugged.

"You gotta admit it, man, you were pretty arrogant." Sirius whirled, and the anger on his face suddenly dissolved into a look of pensive thought, then amusement. James looked at him, slightly confused.

"I just realized that I don't need to have Lily. If she's satisfied with Malfoy, then fine. There are some lovely girls around here, and that's all I really need." Sirius explained, and James nodded emphatically. Feeling satisfied, the two boys walked into the classroom, Remus and Peter close behind.

"Hey Siri, how was History?" Remus said once they had sat down. Sirius shrugged.

"It was ok, oh, and Lily's pissed at you too." Remus' jaw dropped.

"What?"

"I said, Lily...is...pissed...at...you...too. She's mad about the prank, thinks we were 'cruel' to Malfoy." Peter snorted.

"Hey, her loss." he finished. James punched Remus on the shoulder.

"Hey, Remie? If she wants to be pissed, than fine. Right?" he said. Remus nodded absently as professor Flitwick strode into the classroom.

"Right."

  


* * *

  


Lily sat with Ally, Michelle and Alicia that evening at dinner. They had an interesting conversation about the castle gossip, until Ally changed the topic.

"Hey, Lily?" Lily looked up questioningly.

"Yeah?"

"I kinda wanted to apologize for this morning. I was kinda...bitchy. I liked Lucius for a long time, and I guess...I guess I was jealous." Ally smiled a wide smile that seemed slightly fake to Lily. *Well, she sounds sincere.*

Lily shrugged. "Sure, I don't mind. You're a pretty cool chick. All of you." she gestured towards the other two girls.

"Awww..." said Michelle teasingly, and the four girls laughed as dessert was served up on the now sparkling golden plates.

"I am so pissed at those Marauder guys!" Lily exclaimed as they dug into chocolate pudding. Or rather, Lily dug into it and the other girls picked at it.

"What? Why? They're so hot!" exclaimed Alicia.

"It's about that prank they played this morning on Lucius. I talked to Sirius in History today, and he was such an arrogant asshole! I mean, he acted like the four of them were king of the world and that nothing they could do was wrong! And then, this morning, James _somehow_ knew about my date with Lucius tonight, and I only told you girls!" Lily finished her rant, and blushed slightly as the three girls stared at her.

"I guess pretty faces can't hide an awful interior." said Michelle seriously, and the other girls nodded. Lily looked over at Lucius, who nodded meaningfully at her and got up. Lily turned to the other girls, looking very nervous.

"Omigod, how do I look?" she said anxiously, as the three of them gave her a once-over.

"You look great hon, go get him!" said Ally encouragingly, and the other two nodded. Lily smiled slightly, took a deep breath and stood up. She walked confidently to the Great Hall doors, though inwardly she was quaking inside. *Okay Lily...breathe...just a hot guy who asked you out...calmness...*

"Hello, Lily. You look beautiful." Lucius said smoothly. Lily just smiled sweetly, though inside she was quaking.

"Thank you Lucius." *Why am I being so formal? Oh well.* Lucius offered her his arm, and she took it. The two of them walked outside, chatting about anything and everything.

  


* * * 

  


Lily practically waltzed into the common room later that evening. Humming softly to herself, she walked up the stairs and into her dorm room. The minute she entered, her dorm mates jumped on her.

"Omigod, honey, how was it? We're DYING to know!" shrieked Alicia. Lily sighed, a silly smile on her face and fell backwards onto the bed.

"You SNOGGED!!!!" screamed Ally, and Lily sat bolt upright with shock. The other three girls laughed their heads off.

"No, we did not snog! We had a very pleasant conversation!" Lily insisted. Michelle nodded, a sly smile on her face.

"Yes, a veeery pleasant snog...er, conversation." Lily threw a pillow at her, and from there a massive pillow fight began.

Later, after they had all giggled over the finer points of her date and gotten into bed, Lily lay awake, thinking. *Wow, I have really great friends, a hot boyfriend, how much better can you get?* Smiling in the dark, she turned over and fell instantly into a deep sleep, where she dreamed a strange dream.

_She was standing on the highest tower of that same castle of ice, looking out over the walls. Lucius' face appeared and smirked at her._

_"You'll never escape!" he said evilly, as Ally, Michelle and Alicia appeared as well._

_"Stupid bitch, stay there forever!" they shrieked in unison, then disappeared. Suddenly, the parapet had given way and she was falling...falling...falling right towards the sharp spikes of the outer wall. She knew that she was going to die and was, for some reason. Her mind screamed at her to act, yet still she did nothing, just fell silently. Even when her mind had given up and she was about to be impaled, somehow, she was saved. Lily was caught by a pair of strong arms, holding her gently but firmly. The unknown rescuer set her down gently on her feet, outside the castle. As she was about to look into her rescuer's face, everything swam into an indistinct blur. A brilliant shaft of pure white light pierced the darkness, and a pure voice began to chant in a language Lily knew wasn't English, but somehow she understood:_

  


_The land of peace is threatened,_

_darkness threatens to engulf it forever._

_The two have been prophesied,_

_they can fight back the shadows together._

  


_The Ice Queen, smart and beautiful;_

_The Lion, brave and bold._

_These two may join together _

_and fight evil with magics of old._

  


_The Dark shall not be defeated,_

_only held back, but not for long._

_The One, come from the two,_

_will rid the world of this wrong._

  


_But all this shall only come to pass_

_if the Ice Queen sheds her disguise._

_Only too if the Lion opens his eyes._

_And both must have a compromise._

  


_The Frost will try to stop them,_

_the Hags will screech and maim._

_Even friends of the Lion_

_will despise his very name._

  


_But though enemies are very near,_

_all hope is not yet lost._

_The Beautiful one may break the shell_

_the Ice Queen has made for nought._

  


_So let us hope, pray and beg,_

_that good may yet prevail._

_Or else the peaceful lands will fall,_

_and the Black Snake will reign, without fail.'_

  


When Lily awoke, she remembered nothing of her dream.

  


  


  


  


  


  


  


  


Again, NOT a Lucius/Lily fic! I know, I know, I'm mean but it'll all work out in the end, really! Now, the thanks to my luvverly reviewers:

  


**joyce**(I hope this lives up to your standards!), **FEAngel258**(Ssssh...you're close! But I'm glad you liked the chappie.), **River Goddess**(C'mon! Breathe! Breathe! Even if you can't, just read a chappie over again!), **Ella Diver Sophis**(Hmm...your review didn't make much sense. Seeing as you only reviewed the Prologue, reading the rest of the story might help!), **babygreenleaf**(Thanks for your support with this fic...you rock!!!), **liz valentine**(Actually, James isn't a Seeker. I know it says so in the movie, but JKR said in an interview that he was a Chaser, so that's what I'm going on. Thanks for the comments; they make my day!) and last but definitely not least, **Lyz**(See? I'm getting better and I haven't kept you waiting for too long!).

  


I LOVE you guys and I promise I'll have the next chappie up soon...really!

  


-eventergurl88

  



	6. Ch 5: Shattered Illusions

*ducks onslaught from reviewers* I know, I know, I'm evil, making you wait so long for this chappie...I've just been so busy w/ horse shows and exams and...I'm probably boring all of you, so let me start this chappie!

Disclaimer: Do I even need to do this anymore? NOT MINE!!!!!!!!!

  


Chapter 5-Shattered Illusions

  


Lily spent a few happy months enjoying her new life: she had great friends, pleasant teachers, a caring boyfriend...the only quirks were those annoying Marauders, who had begun to prank her too. However, this was only a minor inconvenience.

"Aaahh..." Lily sighed as she rolled out of bed, and froze as her feet were inches from the floor. Looking up, she saw a large bucket, suspended above her bed, obviously triggered to fall once she stood up. *How juvenile...* she thought mildly, as she vanished the bucket with a simple spell. Their pranks ceased to annoy her anymore. Taking a quick check of her watch (It was 5:00 AM), she headed out to the Quidditch Pitch for her daily run and exercises.

As she sprinted around it, her owl drifted down from the owlery, bearing some kind of package. Lily stopped momentarily, and allowed Émi to land. "Hey girl," she said lovingly, scratching her under the beak, "Whatcha got for me?" Émi hooted softly, and dropped the package on the ground. Lily bent to pick it up, and unwrapping it, gasped. It was a gorgeous necklace of pearls, inlaid on silver strips, with one black opal in the middle that sparkled with rainbow fire. She tore apart the wrappings, searching for a note, and found one:

_Dearest,_

_I thought this would suit you. Meet me tonight at the Astronomy Tower._

_Lucius_

"Oh, Émi, how sweet!" she gasped. *I probably should keep it in my room for now.* she thought sensibly, and wrapping the necklace back up, gave it to her owl. "Put this in my room for me, Émi, kay?" The black owl merely blinked her emerald eyes and took flight up to the Gryffindor tower. Lily shook her head, a smile on her face, and continued her run.

After she stopped, she began one of the strike sequences Professor Aquila had taught her a month ago. Lily was now very advanced in the martial arts, especially karate and Tae Kwon Do, and had progressed to sparring with the Professor herself. Surprisingly, she had caught on quickly and was now learning the exact art of the sword kata, which, as the Professor said, was fairly useless but aided her movement for any kind of combat. Taking out her wooden practice sword, she began a fairly easy pattern dance.

  


* * * 

  


James, Sirius and Peter had been out all night following Remus in their Animagus forms, which they had learned only that year. The other three had gone right to sleep, but for some reason, James had been unable to. Peering out the window at the gathering dawn, he noticed a familiar redhead down at the Quidditch pitch, seemingly fighting an enemy. As Lily kicked, punched and jumped far below, James began to reason with himself. *I should go down there, Lily wouldn't fight unless she needed to.* he thought, but quickly shook his head. *What am I thinking, it's Evans the slut, always hanging off that slimeball Malfoy.* He watched her take out what looked like a wooden stick, and began to thrust and stab with it, again as if fighting an imaginary enemy. *Come on, Potter, you have better things to do than watch girls play with sticks.* he chided himself. Still, he continued to watch her, a kind of silent guardian, though he would never admit it to himself.

  


* * * 

Lily stirred her cauldron in Potions, being careful to observe the color. Once it turned the proper shade of emerald green, she added the leech juice, which turned the mixture clear. She set her spoon down and sighed, as a pair of arms encircled her waist.

"Good afternoon, darling. Did you get my present this morning?" Lucius asked coolly, as she leaned back and snuggled into his chest.

"I did, it's gorgeous!" she exclaimed. He smiled slightly.

"I expect to see you in the Astronomy tower this evening." he said, a note of command in his voice. Lily shrugged, ignoring his tone of voice.*Lucius is always like that.* she thought, even though a niggling corner of her mind told her to be careful.

"Sure, why not." Noticing that Professor Halloway was looking their direction, she quickly turned back to her cauldron as Lucius did the same. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Sirius make a gagging motion, and the other boys chuckled. *Stupid assholes, all they want in a girl is a nice body and an IQ of zero.* she thought angrily as she bottled her Wakefullness potion and brought it up to the front.

"Thank you, miss Evans. This will be of great use in the hospital wing. There is no need to test yours, I am sure you have done it...perfectly." Professor Halloway said with a smirk and just the faintest hint of irony. Lily blushed. *Why does he always do that, compliment me like it's an insult?* she thought as she made her way back to her seat. As she passed the Marauders, Peter whistled softly and the other boys grinned.

"Like the new 'do, Evans." James whispered as she walked by, and she resisted the urge to look in a mirror. *Stay calm, don't explode, you can kill them later...* she thought, trying to stay calm though her vision had gone red. Once seated, she cautiously looked at a lock of her hair and almost shrieked out loud.

Her hair, her gorgeous, wavy, russet hair had been turned bright neon green, with glowing silver streaks. As she got angrier and angrier, all she could see was James' smirking face. *That...that...* she thought angrily, unable to have a coherent thought. Finally, her restraint snapped, she got up and stalked over to the group of snickering boys.

"Why, thank you boys, green has always been a good color for me." she said sweetly, with no hint of malice. The triumphant smile on the boys' face began to fade. "However, black and brown...definately not right for you." Faking a frown of concentration, she whispered the incantation under her breath, and made only the tiniest flick with her wand, both of which were practically imperceptible. Almost laughing out loud at the results, she smiled coquettishly, flipped her hair, and strutted back to her seat as the bell rang. Gathering up her books, she watched the boys' faces contort as she tried to stifle laughter.

Sirius put up a shaking hand to his now-yellow, curly hair which had been styled in two pigtails on the sides of his head. James was staring at himself in a mirror, a hesitant hand touching the neon pink locks that were twisted into two Pippi Longstocking-type braids. Remus tried to get through the door and failed when his bright purple mohawk blocked the doorframe. Finally, Peter's curly blue afro was so big it added almost a foot to his height. The class roared with laughter, and Lily quickly changed her hair back to it's original color in the confusion. 

"So right for you boys, I think you should keep it that way!" Lily called, then brought her hand to her mouth in fake surprise. "Oops, I forgot, it lasts for a week! Ta-ta for now!" she walked confidently from the room, a huge smile on her face. Students were looking confused in the hall: who should they support, the popular Lily Evans or the also popular Marauders? Some smiled and shouted support, others glared, but most remained neutral. As Lily went to dinner, she was jubilant inside. *I did it! I did it! I finally got back at them for all the stuff they did to me!* 

  


* * *

  


"Tonight, miss Evans, we will spar for half an hour, we will discuss what you can improve on, and then you will learn a new pattern dance for sword." said Professor Aquila as the two of them stood in their practice room. Lily nodded and got into position. Without warning, the professor lunged at Lily, who feinted away, then punched quickly with her right. The professor caught her fist and forced it backwards, bringing tears to Lily's eyes. Shaking her head, she stomped hard on Aquila's instep, forcing her to release Lily's fist. The professor recovered quickly and swept Lily to the ground with a stroke of her powerful legs. Lily smirked inwardly. *Now, time to put my new move into action.* Lily simply lay there, which startled the professor, who paused. That pause turned out to be a grave mistake. Lily flipped herself forward, landing a solid kick to the older woman's abdomen in the process. Aquila made no sound as she fell on the ground, and Lily panicked. *Omigod, omigod, I'm not supposed to kill the teacher!* she thought frantically as she ran over to where the professor lay.

"Professor, professor, are you all right?" she asked fearfully. The other woman did not even open her eyes as she did another leg sweep and brought Lily to the floor once more. *Aw, crap! Tricked again!* Lily sighed.

Professor Aquila stood up. Lily followed suit, a little nervously. "Well done, miss Evans." was all the woman needed to say, and Lily glowed with pride. "Now, the sword kata." Walking over to the weapons rack, she selected a metal practice blade at random and brought it to Lily. "This will replace the wooden sword, you are ready to move on." Lily nodded, and focused on mirroring her body exactly the way the professor's moved as she learned a new, more complicated pattern dance. Gradually, she speeded up, until she became a blur, the blade a mere flash of metal. This is where Lily's strength lay, her ability to learn exercises such as pattern dances so quickly. With a final spin, Lily thrust, blocked and sheathed her sword, all in one easy movement. Aquila nodded her approval.

"Well done, miss Evans. That will be all for this evening." Lily smiled and turned to go when the note from Lucius fell out of her pocket. Professor Aquila read it swiftly, then looked questioningly at Lily. *Here we go, the big lecture...* thought Lily resignedly, but the woman surprised her completely.

"Be careful, _figlia del mio cuore_. Your skills may come in handy this evening." Aquila hugged her fiercely, and Lily, though slightly shocked, hugged back.

"Thank you, Professor, for all you have taught me." Lily said sincerely. *I highly doubt I'll ever need to use them, though...* she thought wryly as she rushed from the room, anxious to return to her dorm and prepare for her date.

  


* * * 

  


"Omigod, Michy, help me, I have no idea what to wear!" wailed Lily as she stared hopelessly at her closet. Michelle, the dorm's unofficial clothes expert, walked over.

"Hmmm, nothing too expecting, but definitely not too casual either...aah!" Michelle muttered as she pulled a black skirt and a green top of some shimmery fabric from her own closet. Lily hurriedly pulled them on, dragged a brush through her hair and looked in the mirror.

"Hair?" she heard Michelle ask Alicia.

"Down, definitely. Some black eyeliner, and a little green eyeshadow...that should be enough." Alicia brushed the said items over her face and turned her back to face the mirror.

"Something's missing..." said Ally, pursing her lips. Alicia and Michelle both shrugged, but Lily had an idea.

*He'd want me to wear it anyway...* she justified to herself as she lifted the magnificent pearl necklace from it's wrapping. Fastening it carefully, she turned back to her roommates. Alicia gasped, Michelle nodded and Ally had an expression on her face that Lily could not read.

"Go get him, honey." said Michelle with a smile on her face as Lily slipped on a pair of black stilettos, borrowed from Ally. She smiled nervously at her friends before heading out the door.

Walking down the common room stairs, she noticed some students still in the common room at this late hour. Pausing, she listened more closely.

"...never going to come out! I must have washed my hair fifty times and it's still yellow and in pigtails!" growled a voice. *That must be Sirius!* she thought suddenly as she tried to stifle her giggles.

"Same with me, Siri. I had to bend over in the shower because my mohawk is so tall." said another, slightly quieter voice that Lily quickly identified as Remus.

"How'd she do it, though? I mean, I didn't see her wand anywhere, all she did was frown!" squeaked yet another, and Lily winced at the sound of Peter's voice.

"I dunno, guys, we'd better start looking for a counter-curse or something...we can't just stay like this for a week." said a gloomy voice, whom Lily assumed it was James. *Time to make my entrance, I guess...* she thought wickedly, and stepped into the light of the common room. The four boys recoiled immediately.

"Evans." growled Sirius in recognition, and Lily just smirked.

"Like your new do's, boys?" she said, pretending to examine her nails.

"Yeah, we just love them." said Peter sarcastically. Lily's head snapped up.

"Really? Well, I can extend the charm for the next three weeks, if you want." she suggested wickedly, causing the other three boys to glare at Peter. "Anyways, I'm late by now, so bye!" she turned and sauntered towards the portrait hole, hips swaying in that dangerously seductive manner she had, that she didn't even know she posessed.

"Late for what?" called James' voice.

"Wouldn't you like to know." Lily replied, and left without another word.

  


* * *

  


"Ah, Lily, darling. You look gorgeous." said Lucius admiringly as she arrived at the Astronomy Tower. Lily simply gave a half-smile and leaned in for a kiss, which Lucius eagerly returned. They went on like this for quite a while, until things got slightly out of hand.

Lily was on the ground, with Lucius on top. They continued to snog, but Lily became aware of a hand slowly moving on her chest, and she broke the kiss very suddenly.

"Something wrong, Lily, my pet?" purred Lucius, his hand continuing it's motion. Before she knew it, those old feelings she had buried came rushing out into the open.

  


_fearfearfear TRAPPED get away! Pryingfingersirongrip TRAPPED fearfear ANGER rageangerfear_

  


"Lucius..." breathed Lily, trying desperately to clear her mind, her breath coming in quick gasps. "Take your hand off me." The hand merely tightened.

"Lily, you are mine. I will have you, all of you, tonight. There is no use in struggling, darling. Just relax, you may even enjoy." he purred, his voice hardening. She looked into his eyes and saw only pure cruelty and anger. 

"Lucius...GET THE HELL OFF ME!" she screamed, and he promptly slapped her across the face. It was then her defensive instincts, so carefully drilled into her by Professor Aquila, came into play.

His hand, still raised, proved his undoing as she bucked her hips and promptly catapulted him into the wall. Scrambling upright, she searched frantically for her wand as he stumbled upright as well.

"You have made me very, very angry Lily." he growled, blood streaming from a cut near his eyebrow. "I did take the precaution, however, of removing your wand. Now, you have no choice but to suffer the consequences of disobeying." He held it up in front of her, sneering evilly. Taking advantage of his preoccupation, she whirled and fled off into the darkness.

She had no idea where she ended up. All she knew, pressed up against a cold stone wall, was that she was alone. Or so she thought.

"Lily, my pet." she heard his voice in the darkness somewhere nearby. "I will find you, you know. There is a reason I gave you that necklace, there is a tracking spell imbedded in it. I know you can hear me, darling, so why not give up and make it easier for yourself." Lily looked, horrified, at the beautiful necklace, and without a second thought undid the clasp and flung it as far away from herself as she could. *Now to hope he won't find me and I can somehow sneak back to the Tower...* she thought, but did not get any farther.

A light illuminated the corridor, and there was Lucius, trapping her in what she realized was a dead end.

"Lily, darling, you should have just co-operated, that's what all the other girls have done." he said, and Lily shook her head.

"Others, Lucius? Other helpless victims? Does it make you feel good, raping defenseless girls?" she taunted. He colored slightly, and his voice became toneless and hard.

"That is none of your concern. You are the one I have chosen, and You. Will. Submit." he growled, stepping towards her. In a single move, Lily snapped the straps of her heels and flung them off. Stepping back, she moved away from him, making him think he had the upper hand. *Oh, you bastard. You sick, sick bastard!* her mind screamed, and that decided her.

"Like hell I will." she growled, and lunged.

"Wha..?" he started, but that was all he got out before she was on him. She kneed him in the groin and he blanched and fell to the floor. *Now run, Lily, run!* screamed her mind, but she ignored it. She kicked him hard, and he flew to the other end of the hall, where he landed with a groan.

"Come on, get up, Malfoy." she taunted, and he managed to get to his feet. His face contorted in a snarl, he whipped out his wand.

"Petrificus Totalus!" he yelled, and Lily easily dodged the speeding jet of blue light. She simply stood there, dodging every spell he sent at her.

"Duelling too hard for you, Malfoy?" she taunted, and his eyes narrowed and he pointed his wand at her.

"Crucio!" he whispered, and Lily tried to dodge. Somehow, the spell followed her and his her squarely in the stomach. Lily immediately collapsed, every nerve ending screaming pain. "You stupid Mudblood whore." he said, smiling at her agony. "You were born to serve the purebloods, resisting is pointless, darling. You will submit or die." Those words came to Lily in a haze of red, but it was enough. Her eyes flashed inhumanly green, and before Malfoy could react, she flew up and punched him squarely in the nose, hearing the crack of breaking bone. 

Her mind instantly cleared, she rained blows down on him, until she stood, panting, staring at the unconscious figure on the floor, bruised, battered and broken, albeit still alive. 

"Oh God. What have I done?" she whispered, horrified. She did the only thing she could think to do, having enough sanity left to grab her wand. She ran.

  


* * * 

  


Lily staggered into the Common Room, breathing heavily. She climbed the stairs quickly and burst into her dorm.

"Omigod...Ally...Alicia...Michelle...help." she croaked, and the girls crowded around her.

"Well, did you have fun?" Alicia asked cheerfully.

"He tried to rape me." she whispered, and the three girls frowned.

"Well, honey, we did try to warn you." said Michelle sternly, and Lily merely looked at her, more than a little confused. *What? When did they do that?* she thought through a fog of exhaustion and pain.

"Where is he?" asked Ally. Lily smiled fiercely.

"I kicked his ass." she said simply, expecting congratulations. The girls gasped at her, horrified.

"You did...WHAT?" snarled Ally. Lily stared, more than a little taken aback.

"You led him on, you little slut! He expected it from you, you should have given him some!" growled Michelle.

"Where is he, we have to help him!" snarled Alicia, and the three girls who were once her friends stared at her with pure hate in their eyes.

"I don't know...near the Arithmancy classroom, I think..." stammered Lily, and without further ado, the girls got up and left. Ally paused. 

"I never want to see you in this room again, got it, whore? You are not our friend, just a stupid Mudblood bitch who is worth absolutely nothing. Pack your stuff and go." With that, the girls left, and Lily simply stared at the door. After a while, she began to pack in a daze.

  


* * * 

  


Lily dragged her trunk down to the common room at about 3 in the morning. She slumped down on one of the couches and stared into the dying embers of the fire, her mind in a fog. She heard movement behind her, and looked around to see the Marauders.

"What do you want." she stated. *Just go away...please...go...* she thought painfully.

"I told you Malfoy would hurt you." said Sirius, and Lily snapped for the second time that night.

"I KNOW, OK?!?!? I MADE A FUCKING MISTAKE, HE'S A FUCKING ASSHOLE AND YOU THINK I MIGHT BE ABLE TO GET A LITTLE PEACE AROUND HERE! MY EX-BOYFRIEND IS A SICK BASTARD, MY SO-CALLED "FRIENDS" HATE ME AND MY LIFE IS JUST SHIT SO YEAH, GO ON, MAKE ME FEEL EVEN MORE AWFUL. I HOPE YOU'RE FUCKING HAPPY." she ranted, and the boys looked slightly taken aback.

"Don't expect us to comfort you for your own mistakes, Evans," snapped James. "It was your fault and you lead him on in the first place, don't try to lie." Lily sighed.

"I didn't lead him on, James." she said quietly, but none of the boys heard. Each one was still incredibly angry about the prank she had pulled on them and refused to listen to a word she said.

"It was your fault, Evans. Deal with it." said Peter, and the four boys trooped up the stairs without another word. 

*All my fault, all my fault...* the words zoomed around her mind as she sat on the couch. She sat there, numb, as tears rolled down her cheeks, not noticing anything else. Eventually, she cried herself to sleep, when she once again had restless dreams.

  


_Lily approached the familiar ice palace and marvelled at it's beauty. Looking behind her, she saw people...James...Malfoy...Ally...Sirius...all those who despised her were chasing her. Seeing the ice palace as a place of refuge, she climbed inside and immediately felt safe. All the people had dissappeared and she felt cold...numb...devoid of emotion. 'Yes,' she thought as she stood at the parapet, looking out over a snow-covered plain, 'this is the way to be. I cannot be hurt.' And as she thought these thoughts, she felt truly happy._

  


Lily awoke suddenly as the sun's first rays pierced through the curtain and into the room. Her dream came back to her, and she realized its' message. *All people despise me, therefore I will stay away from everyone...I will not be hurt again.* She turned, walked to the window and looked out, imagining she was in her ice castle again. "Yes," she said softly, "I will not be hurt again."

  


  


Wow, this was a long chappie...hope it makes up for my absence. I hope you like, definitely added some plot twists in here! Next chappie we fast forward to seventh year, which is when the story really takes off. Anyhoo, here come the thanks to all my reviewers:

**snowflakey**(Thanks!), **Summer Rain**(You are one of my most faithful reviewers, thanks so much!), **FE Angel 258**(No! I'll write more...really...good plot ideas!), **joyce**(Sorry, this wasn't really soon...:-( ), **high?D**(Thanks for the compliment!), **Guard Girl**(Thank you so so so so much- I really wasn't sure whether to keep putting poetry in!), **River Goddess**(Again, thanks for being faithful!), **WolfMoon**(Hehe...oops...not exactly really soon!), **hpluvr**(*blushes* Thanks!), **Lyz**(You rock my socks!! No seriously, you're a great reviewer!), **DV**(I hope this is up to your standards!), **liz valenitne** (He's pretty arrogant, just thinks she'll fall right over him...well, you learn something every day!) and last but definitely not least **Lainz**(Wow...so much praise, I won't fit my riding helmet!)

  



	7. Ch 6: Assigned Duties

I'M BAAAACK!!!!!!! Many thanks to my faithful reviewers who waited for so long! I love you guys! I almost had a heart attack when I looked at my reviews and realized I had 73! I will end the cliffie now, and the next chapter is half-written so I'll get it out to you soon.

  


Disclaimer: If I had created all of HP, would I have had to wait anxiously and then rush out and buy OotP? NO!

  


Chapter 6: Assigned Duties

  


THWAP!

  


The blue punching bag rebounded from the punishing kick easily delivered by a tall, willowy, seventeen year old girl. She waited for the bag to return before beginning a series of punches, kicks and spins. With a final kick, the bag was ripped off the chain and lay on the floor. Lily Evans walked over to where the bag lay and lifted it easily. *Damn,* she thought ruefully, *forgot to put the reinforcing charm on again.* Picking up her wand and muttering an incantation, the bag rose and re-attached itself to it's chain. The whole thing glowed golden for a moment, then assumed it's normal hue.

Lily sighed and began to stretch after her workout. *Who could believe it's finally almost seventh year?* she wondered. *Only one year and I'm outta here forever, I can do what I want, be my own person...* Her thoughts were interrupted by a voice floating through her workout area.

"_Would Lily Evans please proceed to the Headmaster's office immediately?_" said the disembodied voice. Lily easily recognized it as that of Professor McGonagall.

*Wonder why they bother even doing that when I'm the only student left in the school anyways.* she thought as she trotted through the vast halls of Hogwarts,

her feet taking her the correct route without even thinking about it. Reaching the familiar stone gargoyle, she simply placed her hand on it's head. With a huge groan and the grating of rock moving, the swivelling stone staircase appeared. Upon reaching Dumbledore's office, she knocked lightly.

"Professor Dumbledore?" she asked.

"Come in, miss Evans." he said. Lily went in and promptly sat on one of the chairs opposite the Headmaster. 

"You wished to see me." Lily stated, in a totally expressionless voice. She stared straight ahead, unmoving and uncaring.

"Yes... the faculty has decided to appoint you Head Girl." Lily's expression did not change.

"Did I not inform you last year I did not wish to take on Prefect duties? Why then would you appoint me Head Girl? As such, I refuse the position." she said, her tone unchanging, sitting so still she might have been a statue.

"The Head Girl position is one that must be accepted, miss Evans. You have no choice. You will meet the Head Boy tomorrow when the students return for the Feast." Dumbledore said firmly. Lily inclined her head slightly, and without further dismissal, got up and left the office. 

The Headmaster steepled his fingers in front of him, his blue eyes pensive. His phoenix, Fawkes, flew over towards him and lay it's head on his shoulder.

"Why, Fawkes?" Dumbledore said softly, remembering the vivacious, talkative girl that was once Lily Evans. "What happened to make her so cold and unfeeling?" Fawkes merely cooed in reply.

Meanwhile, Lily had let her emotionless mask slip and stormed off in a rage to the Owlery, ranting all the way.

"Why?? Why the hell would he make me Head Girl and make me work with some arrogant asshole when he god damn KNOWS that I don't fucking care about whatever happens in this stupid ass school! I just wanna graduate and get outta here, he knows that! God DAMN!!" she finished angrily, sitting down hard against the cold stone wall. Putting her head between her knees, she sighed. *I guess all I can do is make the best of it. I'll do as little as possible, leave it all to the Head Boy. Ha...that's a laugh. Imagine if it were Black...or Potter.* she shuddered. *I can always give them a black eye if they push me too much.* With that cheerful thought, she headed to the window and looked out, seeing the scarlet steam engine approach Hogsmeade station.

"This is going to be the worst year ever." she muttered angrily, then headed down to the Great Hall.

  


* * * 

  


James Potter hopped easily onto the scarlet Hogwarts Express, chocolate brown eyes searching for his friends, a hand absent-mindedly running through his messy black hair. Loping down the hall to the compartment the four friends usually shared, he threw open the door and smiled his trademark lopsided grin at the sight of his best buddies.

"Hey guys!" he said, flopping down on the nearest seat. The other three boys looked up at his entrance.

"Jamesie! Where have ya been, buddy?" asked Sirius Black, his best friend. James shrugged.

"Dad decided this summer was the time when I would learn to 'manage the empire.'" he said sarcastically, as Peter Pettigrew winced. James' father was one of the main partners at Gringotts, and he was determined that James would one day take over his job.

"Ouch. Musta been deadly boring." James smirked.

"Not when there are loads of annoying little toadies to prank." Sirius smiled an identical evil grin.

"Now, James...when will you curb those predatory instincts?" sighed Remus Lupin sarcastically, though he too was grinning.

"Stop talking like you swallowed the dictionary, Remie." said Peter, elbowing him. 

"I did get an...er, interesting letter." James stated, and the other boys' attentions immediately shifted to him.

"Let me guess...'Dear Mr. Potter, you have been awarded a plaque for the most detentions?'" cracked Remus, and the boys laughed for a moment.

"No," said James once they had regained control, "they made me Head Boy." He cracked up again at the expressions on their faces.

"Congrats, I guess." said Peter hesitantly. Remus merely stared in shock. Sirius, on the other hand, looked as if everyone had died but him and Snape.

"Head Boy?!?!? What about our pranks??? How're we gonna prank the slimy Slytherins if you're in charge of all the rules?? No more sneaking down to the kitchens!! No more checking out hot babes from other Houses!! No more..." James stopped him.

"Hey, I don't care if I get caught. They can't exactly kick me out of being Head Boy, and if they do, their loss." James shrugged. "Dad was more pleased about it anyways. You should have heard him: 'This is just the way to kick-start your career, son. Yes sir, with qualifications like Head Boy, you can get an apprenticeship anywhere in the Ministry, work anywhere in the bank'..."James sighed. 

"S'okay, Jamesie. After school, we'll all buy a flat in Hogsmeade, work at Honeydukes and go clubbing every night!" said Sirius gleefully, regaining his cheerful demeanor. James brightened.

"Yeah, and to hell about what my dad thinks!" 

The rest of the train ride was spent thinking up their trademark beginning of year prank. As Sirius said, "This is our last year so it's gotta be...be...". "Spectacular?" Remus had supplied, but Sirius shook his head. "No....it's gotta be..._big_." All four boys looked at each other and started laughing. Later, the other three boys had fallen asleep as night fell, but James stayed awake, thinking.

*Seventh year at last.* he thought, staring out the window. *Head Boy too...who'da thought? I mean, we're so different now than first year. Sirius is practically the babe magnet, Remus is so 'cute', Peter is 'so understanding'...where does that leave me? Any girlfriend I've had has just used me to get closer to Siri or Remus, like that Ally or whatever her name was. Peter and I are a lot alike, I guess.* he shook his head slightly to clear his head of his gloomy thoughts. *Enough of me whining! It's a wonder I even put up with myself.* '_Because no one else will listen to you.'_ whispered his conscience. *Great. Now I'm talking to myself.* He sighed audibly, then attempted to change the subject in his head.

*Wonder who Head Girl is? I mean, none of the girls in our year are exceptionally stellar students, except for...* he sat bolt upright as the thought hit him. *What if they made _Evans_ Head Girl? I mean, she get's practically 100's on every essay or test! The Ice Queen herself...that would be interesting.* Lying back down, he tried to clear his mind of anything and sleep. However, all he could see in his mind's eye was the perfect, dispassionate face of one Lily Evans. 

  


* * * 

  


*Here we go again.* thought Lily wryly as she sat in her usual place at the Gryffindor table, watching all the older students filing in. Keeping her expression carefully blank, she noted that, even though she sat at the far end of the table, there were at least two or three seats between her and the next person seated. *It shouldn't bother me now!* she thought anxiously, trying to stifle the feeling of hurt and rejection that welled up. *It's happened every year since third! I should be happy they've finally gotten the message and left me alone.* Dumbledore stood up, as the first years filed in. It served as a distraction for her unpleasant thoughts, so she gave her full attention span over to the Sorting.

"Welcome to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry! To our returnees, welcome back! To the new first-years, I am sure you will enjoy this year greatly! Now, let us begin the Sorting." Dumbledore said, in his usual, cheerful demeanor. Professor McGonagall walked over with the Sorting Hat, gave a warning glare to the Marauders, and set it down on the stool. The hat quickly opened it's brim and began it's song.

  


_In times of old, when this school was founded,_

_Things were looking grim._

_Dark wizards rampaged everywhere_

_And answered only to Him._

  


_Four powerful wizards banded together_

_To defeat these powers of dark._

_They marched on strong to His very stronghold,_

_And plainly left their mark._

  


_Now a crater merely remains,_

_Of that which was once His._

_The four wizards stumbled back,_

_Their triumph as potent as strawberry fizz._

  


_When all had been salvaged or regained,_

_One wizard, Godric Gryffindor by name,_

_Said "Let us build a school, to teach those who know not_

_The magic they do not claim."_

  


_The other three willingly agreed,_

_And plans were quickly made._

_The founders became the teachers,_

_And so laid down the blade._

  


_Houses were formed, traditions made,_

_Qualities prized by every founder._

_Gryffindor wanted bravery and courage,_

_Because a brave one could not flounder._

  


_Rowena Ravenclaw wished for intelligence,_

_The ability to learn and be wise._

_Helga Hufflepuff wanted loyalty,_

_Hardworkers, those who told no lies._

  


_Salazar Slytherin prized cunning,_

_Wit and great ambition._

_He thought that those with these kind of morals_

_Would make the best magicians._

  


_And so the Founders grew apart,_

_The enmity grew very strong._

_Even students from each House_

_Stayed mostly with those they belonged._

  


_Now the evil rises again,_

_And we all must stay together,_

_Or else the world will turn to shadows,_

_And will be ruled by those of the nether._

  


The Hall was silent, then McGonagall stepped up to the dais. "When I call your name, you will come forth and be Sorted. Andrews, George?" A small, waifish boy stepped up to the stool. The hat paused for a moment.

"Hufflepuff!"

Lily tuned out the rest of the Sorting. *They do it every single year, why should it be any different? Except for the Sorting Hats' song, that was a little depressing.* She sat still as stone, her face betraying none of her thoughts. In fact, she was thinking about the new martial art she was learning, the wand kata. It had to do mostly with angles, so you could angle yourself in such a way that you would avoid any spells cast and yet still cast spells yourself. As she thought about the different angles she practised, Dumbledore's voice brought her back to the present. 

"May I now present your new Head Boy and Girl? The Head Boy is James Potter." he said, and Lily swore inwardly. *Crap! Him? Great. Just great.* Many of the students cheered loudly as Potter stood up. His image shimmered slightly for a moment, then he was dressed in...quite interesting attire. *Oh yes.* Lily thought smugly.

James was dressed in an extravagant robe of ermine with a huge, gaudy crown on his head. He held a garish scepter and had long, golden necklaces around his neck, rings on every finger and jewelery on every possible place on his body. Finally, a large, glowing sign appeared above his head, that read 'The King'. In short, he looked like an extravagant teen playing a king in some cheap theater production. Potter looked down at what he was wearing and started to laugh. Even Dumbledore smiled gently.

"The Head Girl is Lily Evans." *Okay, here we go.* she thought, and steeled her expression. She rose, expressionless, as whispers filled the hall.

"Evans?!?!?"

"The Ice Queen?!?!?"

"I heard she never says anything, just stares..."

"I heard she beat up Malfoy senseless, he had to spend a week in the hospital wing."

"Well, good for her then."

"Good for her? She's a freak! Talk about the anti-social!"

"She's so pretty..."

"Pretty, my ass. You go ask her out, if you want broken bones."

*Nice to know I have such a reputation.* she thought wryly. She heard a sudden gasp from the assembled group, and looked down at what she was wearing. *Oh, no...*

Lily was wearing a silver gown that had long flowing sleeves and trailed on the ground. A jeweled, spired, silver crown stood on her head, as priceless jewels covered her neck and wrists. Looking in a convenient goblet of water, she saw her lips and eyelids had been painted silver. Her red hair spilled down like blood on snow. However, that was not all. Tiny snowflakes fell from nowhere to land on her head and shoulders. They melted as soon as they touched her, but fell nowhere else. Frost covered the ground on which she stood. Taking a tiny, experimental step, the frost followed her footsteps. As a final touch, little silver fairies that carried blue lanterns swooped around her and spelled out the words 'Ice Queen' above her head. *Okay, way too far here!* she thought angrily, though her expression did not change. Taking out her wand, she whispered the vanishing spell and the crazy clothes disappeared, leaving her back in her school robes, face back to normal. However, the frost and snowflakes still fell, and the fairies swooped around her, chittering happily. She sat down, facing the table, as the whispers started up again. *Great. Just fucking great.* she thought grumpily.

  


* * * 

  


"Dammit! That was s'posed to be a prank!" Sirius said softly. Peter looked upset.

"We didn't get any reaction out of her! She just looked...looked..." he fumbled for words.

"Gorgeous?" James said softly. All three boys' heads whipped around to stare at him.

"What??" Remus said incredulously.

"Uh...I mean...the prank itself was a great idea, I had no idea you were gonna do this to me!" James said, gesturing at his flamboyant attire. The three boys stared at him suspiciously, but went back to discussing their next prank of the evening. 

*Whew...why did I say that out loud? Sure, Evans is pretty, but so cold and uncaring. Who cares what she looks like?* he thought, listening to Sirius talk about how to implant the confetti in the ceiling. 

"You got that, Jamesie?" Sirius asked, startling him out of his reverie.

"Uh...er..." he stammered. Remus laughed.

"Probably daydreaming about some girl, hmmm?" he asked, taking on the tone of a muggle psychiatrist and looking over the bridge of his nose. James merely smirked and punched Remus lightly on the arm.

"Nothin' you haven't done, buddy." Remus blushed.

"Hey guys, the food just appeared." Peter pointed out good-naturedly, and without further talk the boys dove into their meal.

"Mmm, Si'us, fass a 'oaoes." grunted James around a mouthful of steak.

"Wha'?" said Sirius, equally coherently. James swallowed.

"Pass the potatoes."

"Oh."

"Guys, don't stuff yourselves like in third year." Remus warned. Peter rolled his eyes.

"Yes, Mommy." Remus shrugged.

"Hey, if you wanna spend tonight like you did that first night..." Sirius blanched.

"Hey, Remie, we like to remember the good things, not the bad ones!" James chided good-naturedly.

"Yeah, like that time we caught you snogging with that girl...hmmm, what was her name..." Sirius said mock-innocently, and Remus blushed to the tips of his ears.

"Yeah, what about that time McGonagall was right behind you when you did your impression of her and Dumbledore..." Remus volleyed back to Sirius, and the four of them burst out laughing. And so the rest of their meal passed companionably, with many tales of their adventures during the past seven years.

At the end of the Feast, Dumbledore stood up once more.

"Will the Head Boy and Girl please come to my office after the Feast? The rest of you are dismissed." As students stood up to go, many got the shock of their lives.

Confetti had burst from the ceiling, showering everyone with little bits of paper. Streamers floated down lazily, and Filibusters' Fireworks shot off multicolored sparks everywhere. Balloons floated everywhere and stuck on each person, some getting a happy face, others(like Malfoy) getting a barfing face. As soon as a ballon touched someone, your own faced morphed into one mirroring the one on the balloon. Many people were laughing hysterically at the cartoon faces on them and their friends. As a final touch, a huge banner floated down from the ceiling reading 'The beginning of the end! Good luck to (almost) all!'. It hung in mid air for a moment, then exploded into small Honeydukes candies which floated down from the ceiling. Some of the younger students squealed and jumped around, trying to catch the treats. The four Marauders shared a secretive high-five, each having their own cartoon face. As James turned, he noticed Evans, wand braced, facing off against her own balloon. It suddenly zoomed at her, and in one fluid motion, she cast a Severing charm and punctured it. Watching it deflate, James noticed Evans smile slightly before turning and presumably heading to the Headmaster's office. Now uncomfortably aware of the yellow happy face in place of his own, he quickly fixed it and followed Evans to Dumbledore's office.

  


  


  


  


  


  


  


Whew! Finally done typing! Don't worry, chapter 7 will be out before you know it! Now, it's time for the thank-you's!

Alyssa- E-mail to you is going out as soon as I post this!

Star- I'm hurrying, I'm hurrying! *whimpers* Please don't hurt me...then I can't write any more...

MFCA- Look! I kept writing!

liz valentine- I'm touched...*sniff* sorry it took so long to type and post this!

angel-dolphin- Awww, thanks! It makes me smile when I get reviews like yours!

Rei- *ducks* Aaah! I didn't really MEAN you had to throw the vegetables! Yes, this is the ice Lily!

harper92- Hope this chapter is stellar enough for ya! Thanks, I had a great time at camp! Aww, poor you...don't worry, I'm back now!

PuDdLe Of MuD- I read your stories; I like them a lot, even though I didn't review...*blushes* Don't worry, I will soon!

mmn673- *cries* WAAAH!! I'm so touched that you like my poetry!! I love you so much!!

Lyz- Yay! One of my fav reviewers! *huggles* Oooh! Kewl! Horsies! My camp was a riding camp, too...hope this chapter is good enough!

Anarane Anwamane-Wow! Kewl name! Thanks!

SummerRain- *sniffles* Aww...I'm touched...really...thanks so much!

Sk8er Chic09- Thanks a lot! I luv it too!

PoTtErSPaYnE- There ya go, I typed more. I typed a whole lot more, hope you like! Thanks, I had a great vacation!

  


  



	8. Ch 7: Early Morning Encounters

Wow! This next chappie out so early? All you guys will be so proud of me (or at least, I hope!!)! This chappie shows yet another insight into the Ice Lily! Enjoy!

  


Chapter 7- Early-Morning Encounters

  


Lily walked quietly up to the Headmaster's office, though inwardly she was seething. Those stupid snowflakes kept falling, and wherever she walked, a trail of frost sprang up that vanished a few seconds later. To make matters worse, the fairies were still there, though she had to admit, they were kinda cute. She put her hand up to one, and it giggled, landing softly on her palm. She smiled at it, before shooing it off again to join the cloud following her. *The 'Marauders' must be losing their touch.* she thought wryly, arriving at the gargoyle. Hearing footsteps behind her, she waited, knowing that the person would probably be Potter.

  


"Uh, er, hi." he stammered. "I kinda don't know the password...do you?" he asked, sounding slightly startled. *Well, he would be, if he was just following me and suddenly found me staring at him.* her conscience rationalized.

  


She turned around slowly, and placed her hand on the gargoyle's head. The statue came to life like always, and opened the stairway. Without a word she continued, leaving Potter to fend for himself. *He's a big boy, I'm sure he can.* she thought sarcastically, as she arrived at the door. Knocking softly, she let herself in and left the door open.

  


"Ah, Lily, welcome! Is James coming?" Dumbledore asked jovially. Lily merely stared at him before answering.

  


"I assume so." she answered, her voice cold. At that moment, James walked in, paused, and sat down in the chair next to Lily, albeit slightly nervously. 

  


"Hello, Professor." he said, and Dumbledore smiled.

  


"Now, onto our meeting. You two will co-ordinate the Prefect's meetings, you have the final say on all balls or activities and you must meet together at least once weekly to evaluate school morale or any issues that may come up. You have the authority to remove points and it is you the students will look to as an example of leadership. The rules are in place not to amuse myself or any of the other professors, they are there for a reason. Your main job is to make sure rules are upheld, and to uphold them yourself." he finished sternly, looking at James. James merely looked puzzled and innocent. 

  


*What a lying little bastard.* Lily thought, amused. 

  


"Now, I will leave you two now to get to know each other a little better because you need to have a functional, working relationship." Dumbledore continued. "That means trust and co-operation, as well as an understanding of how your partner thinks. You may stay here for as long as you wish, though it would be a bad example to have our Head Boy and Girl breaking curfew!" Dumbledore got up and left, leaving the room eerily quiet.

  


"So..." James said unconfortably. Lily turned to face him.

  


"I am sure you know enough about me, Potter. And I do not wish to know any more about you." Lily said in a cool voice. She got up and headed for the door, but was stopped.

  


"Wait!" James called. She turned. "My name is James Potter. I am the Chaser and now Captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team, I enjoy pranks, and my best friends are..."

  


"Sirius Black, Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew." Lily finished, interrupting. James looked at her oddly. "I knew you once, Potter. You were not the person I thought you were, and I can see you have not changed since third year. You know my name, my owl, all the rumours about me...why do you need to know more?" she challenged, her eyes hard and angry. James swallowed.

  


"What happened to the Lily Evans I once knew?" he said softly. 

  


"You never knew Lily." she said harshly. Taking a deep breath, she calmed herself down. "That Lily was naïve, innocent. She could not survive here. That Lily is dead." Nodding curtly, she turned to go. "Good evening, Potter." Lily left in a swirl of red locks and silvery snowflakes, as James sat for another five minutes, simply stunned. 

  


* * * 

  


"And then, she's like 'That Lily is dead.'" James finished describing his odd encounter with the redhead to his friends. Remus shook his head.

  


"She's been so strange since third year. She never played that game of chess with me either!"

  


"Chess?" asked Peter, rolling over on his bed. Remus shrugged.

  


"Yeah, I levitated her up the stairs when she was really tired from doing...something, I dunno what. I said I would if she played a game of chess with me, she agreed...but then she was so busy with that idiot Malfoy and then she turned into Evans the Ice Block so..." he shrugged.

  


"She was probably fucking some other guy." Sirius said lazily, staring up at the ceiling. Remus shook his head.

  


"Nah...not like sweaty-tired, more like exhausted-tired...like she had been working out or something..." he drifted off, each boy preoccupied with their own thoughts. James was thinking about the difference in her eyes.

  


_/flashback/_

  


_Lily was not the only one to wake up early. James had been unable to sleep for the latter half of the night(probably the byproduct of his gorging at the feast), so he decided to go fly. As he did several loops and dives to let off steam, he noticed the oddly familiar redhead walking down towards the pitch...Spiraling up towards the sky, he dove suddenly towards the stands and stopped mere inches from the seated Lily's face. *Whoa...those eyes...* he thought dazedly as he stared into the jade pools. So full of emotion, so warm, they reminded him of a calm tropical ocean...* You idiot! * he raged at himself after a few moments. * Hovering there staring at her is not a good thing! * _

_/end flashback/_

Shaking himself out of his reverie, he remembered Evans' eyes now. *Like agates...so cold and hard, with no feeling whatsoever. What happened to make her like that? Wish to God I knew...* 

"Boys, I think tonight's the time to work some more on the map." Sirius announced and James eagerly agreed. 

"Yeah, sounds great. I'm sure there are loads more passages then the ones we discovered!" Remus and Peter nodded, and the four boys got ready to go out. Later, all four of them were creeping down the familiar hallways in Hogwarts, Marauder's Map in hand. 

"James, cast the spell." whispered Remus, and James, staring carefully at the map, whispered the incantation. 

"_Revealio celo cuniculus creatrix maleficium." _he said, waving his wand in a complex mnemonic gesture. A series of glowing dots appeared on the floor, and the boys eagerly followed. The dots lead straight into a mirror near Dumbledore's office.

"This is a secret passageway?" Peter asked. James shrugged.

"Now all we have to do is find out the password." he said, and stood gamely in front of the mirror. Taking a look at the map, he noticed a tiny speech bubble next to his image. He bent down, rubbed his eyes and looked closely.

_'Password unavailable'_

"Crap!" he swore softly. "The Map's never failed us before!" Sirius shrugged.

"Hey, I don't care. Maybe the spell just screwed up." he said idly. James shook his head violently.

"It can't! There's a passage down there, I know it!" Remus looked at James oddly.

"Jamesie, maybe we should head back. It's almost 1:00."

"NO! I have to figure this out!" With that, he stalked off to the mirror and sat down defiantly. Peter gestured helplessly.

"James, we can come back tommorrow night. But c'mon, I'm sure that there are loads of other passages and we still have time!" Sirius said cheerfully.

"Hey, you guys take the cloak, I'll figure this out eventually. Have fun." James said, then whispered the incantation again. The dots appeared once more, but this time lead out of the hallway. Torn between adventure and leaving James there, the boys hesitated.

"Guys! Go!" James said, slightly exasperated. Remus shrugged, picked up the cloak and flung it over his two companions.

"Have fun, I guess." came Peter's whispered voice, and the sound of footsteps receded. Sighing, James stood up.

"Mirror, mirror on the wall? No, er...candy? Fizzing Whizzbees? Chocolate Frogs? Um, animals? Hippogriff? Kneazle? Chizpurfle? Uh, weird things...Bits n' bobs? Yarmulke? Crup snout? Fiddle-dee-dee?" James queried. The mirror stayed closed. "Guess not...fruit? Apple? Orange? Kumquat? What the hell IS a kumquat anyway? Aagh..." James slumped down on the wall facing the mirror. "Gonna be a long night. Okay, from the top: Butterbeer? Mulled mead?..."

James stayed at the mirror the rest of the night, saying anything that came into his head. The piece of glass stayed stubbornly immovable, no matter what he tried. At around 6:00, however, someone came.

"...Snuffluphagus? Treacle tart? All Hallow's Eve?" he was saying lazily, when soft footsteps interrupted his stupor. Had there been any noise, he would not have heard them at all. Jumping up and retreating into the shadows on instinct, he watched and waited for the person to appear, all the while still pummeling his brain for answers. *Yeti? No, I tried that when I listed all the animals. Leprechaun? Hmm, gotta try that...WHAT?* For none other than Lily Evans had walked confidently up to the mirror.

"Password unavailable." she said confidently, and with a groan, the mirror swung open on it's hinges. She walked in, and the mirror swung shut almost instantly. James stood there, mouth open. 

"Holy shit." was all he could say, staring blankly at the mirror. It took all of his willpower not to face the wall and start banging his head. *Well, I feel stupid. At least I know the Map was right!* he thought sheepishly as he walked up to the mirror. He grew more and more curious as he stared at it. *What the fuck could straight-A, never-broke-a-rule-in-her-life Evans be doing? More importantly, how would she know how to get down there?* Finally, his curiosity overcame him and before he really knew what he was doing, he had gone to the mirror, spoken the password, and started down the stairs. *Hope to hell I'm alive by the end of this.* he thought wryly, reaching the bottom.

* * * 

Lily had just begun her morning workout with her most difficult pattern dance, made harder by the new sword that she was not accustomed to yet. Beginning the first turn and slice, a loud footstep startled her. Without even pausing to think, she turned and leaped, bringing down both her would-be attacker and the sword, stopping only at the throat of one...*POTTER?* she thought, stunned, staring into the equally shocked chocolate-brown eyes of the boy. Standing up and sheathing her sword, she waited.

"On your feet, Potter." she ordered, trying to keep the rage out of her voice. He scrambled upright, and smiled nervously.

"Lily! Fancy seeing you..."

"Cut the crap, asshole." she snapped. "What the hell are you doing down here?"

"Uh, well, I, er, uh..." he stammered. As much as she enjoyed Potter reduced to a blathering idiot, she wanted an explanation, and she wanted one now.

"Explain." she said curtly.

"Well, I couldn't sleep, so I went for a walk and saw you coming down to the mirror. I, er, overheard the password and, uh,...decided to come chat with you?" he said questioningly.

"Nice try." she said scathingly.

"Damn." he smiled his trademark grin, but she merely turned away.

"Now, I wish to get back to my pattern dance, so, good morning." she turned, took a deep breath and was about to begin when Potter broke in again.

"How did you learn that?" he asked, and Lily had some very violent visions of what she could do to one James Potter. *Okay, calmness, breathe in, breathe out...* she chanted in her mind, turning to face him.

"Professor Aquila began to teach me in my first year. Any more questions?" she said curtly.

"No, thanks for talking, though." he said, smiling. Lily almost smiled back before she caught herself. *What the hell are you doing, girl?* her mind screamed as she gave a swift nod. Turning around and stalking back to the centre of the floor, she sighed, before giving up all thought except for her breathing, her movements and her sword.

After she had finished her workout, she left the castle and went for her daily run around the Quidditch Pitch. Finally done, she decided to try and find the Head Girl dorms. Last night, she had been so tired that she had fallen asleep in the Infirmary. Now, however, she needed a shower and a change of clothes. She walked around aimlessly until she met a familiar portrait.

"Francesca, Edelfritha, how nice to see you ladies again!" she exclaimed to a painting of two nuns. They both nodded, smiles breaking onto their normally stern faces.

"How are you, miss Evans?" Edelfritha asked, and Lily smiled. 

"Okay, I guess, except for one teeny little problem..."

"Well? What is it, child?" asked Francesca.

"I need to find the Head Girl dorm." The two nuns smiled knowingly.

"It's behind the statue of the unicorn, in the hallway right behind us, though we don't know what the password is." they said in unison, and Lily laughed.

"You two, always could read each other's minds!" The two nuns exchanged pleased glances. "Thanks ever so much!" Lily hurried off, and sure enough, found a huge statue of a unicorn. The statue was so big that it's horn just barely missed the high vaulted ceiling.

"Aren't you pretty?" she said, reaching out to stroke the cold marble. As soon as her hand touched stone, the unicorn's eyes glowed a sapphire blue. The statue nodded once, and stepped sideways, revealing an archway. "Uh...thanks." she said, still a little shocked, and hurried into the room.

"Wow..." was all she could say at the sight that met her eyes. A small common room, with two desks, bookshelves and squashy armchairs was cheerfully illuminated by a crackling fire. Walking further into the room, she noticed staircases up to the left and right and a large door in the corner of the room. Heading to the large door and opening it, she was delighted by the large bathroom with a bathtub (that looked more like a swimming pool), two showers and two separate vanities. Next, she hopped up the staircase to the right and saw a small plaque on the door that read 'Head Girl'. Opening the door, she walked into the room and felt as if she had walked into Heaven instead.

Everything was an ethereal white. The large double bed had a white comforter with golden embroidery, white pillows and small golden accent pillows. A white loveseat sat next to the thick white rug in front of the fireplace, which was coated in (you guessed it) white marble. A large mirror, framed in gold, hung on one wall. There was a long row of golden drapery covering one end of the room, and Lily excitedly rushed over to open it. It revealed a row of floor-to-ceiling windows, looking out over the lake and a small piece of the Forbidden Forest. Lily jumped on the bed and lay back, almost in shock. *Wow, it's almost worth becoming Head Girl just to have this room!* she thought giddily, staring up at the ceiling, which had been painted like a sunrise. Singing happily, she skipped down the stairs to the huge bathroom. *I am going to have one looong bath, and then breakfast!* she thought excitedly, and swept into the bathroom.

Jumping eagerly into the bathtub(which was already filled), she turned the different jeweled taps around the bathtub on and off, giggling at what she found. One fountain gave off little pink bubbles, another put golden glitter into the water, yet another perfumed the water with the scent of cinnamon...Lily lounged in the bathtub for almost an hour before jumping out. Her skin felt soft and she felt the cleanest she'd ever been. She performed the drying charm quickly, got dressed and left the room accompanied with a cloud of heavenly-smelling steam, the snowflakes(which were fading fast), the remnants of the frost and one little fairy who had decided to stick around.

Gathering her books, she left the common room and headed to the Great Hall. A loud uproar greeted her as she pushed open the double doors, as what seemed like every single student was clustered around a notice pasted on the wall. Walking over to read the notice, she noted idly that as she approached, people fell silent, and a path appeared for her to the front. *I feel so loved...* she thought ironically as she scanned the notice. Her jaw dropped. *I am going to fucking kill her...* was all the coherent thought she could manage.

  
  


  
  


  
  


  
  


MUAHAHAHAHA!!! Cliffy! Aren't I mean? At least I gave you guys a longer chappie. I laughed my head off when I was writing about James and the mirror. Sooo...now time for my (few) devoted reviewers! (At least, I hope there's few because the rest of you guys haven't realized that I replaced the AN with a new chappie!)

**LillixRox'09** – Sorry I skipped your review last chappie! I'm glad you luv it-hope this chappie is just as lovable!

**LillyNyx** – Thanks! Yes, Lily is definitely the fighter chick. Ooh, wait till you read the ending...;-) hehehehe....

**Rei** - *gasp*You actually _liked_ the Sorting Hat song? Wow! Yes, I love fightin' Lily too. Hmmm...10 thumbs...well, it could work, if you're clumsy(all thumbs...*snickers* very bad joke, I know)

  
  



	9. Ch 8: The Dueling Club

I'm sure I made MANY people mad with the cliffy in the last chappie! Don't worry, tho, all will be explained this chappie. So sit back and enjoy!!!

DISCLAIMER: All the original HP ideas belong to J.K. Rowling, ruler of the magical universe. All the info on staff fighting comes from the Protector of the Small series by Tamora Pierce, ruler of the medieval universe. Whatever infinitesimal piece is left belongs to me. *sighs* I feel so proud… 

Chapter 8-The Dueling Club (kinda gives it away already, doesn't it? Oh well…)

Dueling Club 

This club will meet every Monday, Tuesday and Friday after the afternoon classes. It will take place in the Great Hall. You will learn various spells for attack and defense and will also learn the basics of staff fighting, martial arts and sword fighting. At the end of the school year, there will be a Dueling competition for those in the club. The winner of this competition will give their House 100 points. All who wish to join, please sign your name on the sign-up sheet next to the notice.

Professor Aquila-Head Instructor 

_Lily Evans- Assistant Instructor_

Lily could hear people whispering in the background as she stared dumbly at the notice. *Make ME Assistant Instructor? What the hell for? When did I ever say I wanted to teach anyone? Grrr…I think it's time for a chat with our esteemed DADA professor.* she thought, and whirled around swiftly, startling some of the people clustered near her. As she stalked off towards the Head table, the pitch of the whispering increased, but she paid them no heed. Upon reaching the place setting of Professor Aquila, she waited for the professor to notice her.

"Miss Evans! What can I do for you?" the older woman said kindly.

"May I speak to you…in private?" Lily said, her voice tight.

"Of course. Please excuse me, Professor Flitwick." The miniscule professor shrugged and made a shooing motion with his hands. Lily stomped off to the antechamber outside the Great Hall, and the Professor followed, though making much less noise. The minute they reached the privacy of this room, Lily turned vehemently on the Professor.

"What the hell do you mean, making me 'Assistant Instructor' or whatever?!? Did I ever say anything about this kind of club? I mean, hell, you didn't even ask me whether I wanted to or not, you just 'signed me up'. Well, what if I don't want to help you with a bunch of bumbling idiots who can barely cast 'Stupefy'?" Lily ranted, the traces of tears coming to her eyes. *The only one I trusted has betrayed me…* she thought, becoming closer and closer to tears by the second. "Why didn't you just ask?" she finished in a hoarse whisper, and turned away from the other woman. *I will not cry, I will not cry, it's a stupid thing to cry about, I will not cry…* she chanted mentally, as the tears threatened to spill over.

"Lily, turn and face me." Professor Aquila said quietly. Lily paused. *She never calls me Lily!* she thought dazedly, and complied. "I am truly, deeply sorry. I did not think to consider your feelings in this matter. However, I feel this Dueling club is necessary. Dark powers are rising, and we must not leave our students defenseless. I cannot train all the students on my own, _figlia dell'cuore. Will you help me?" she asked pleadingly. Lily sighed, the ghost of a smile coming to her face._

"How can I not, _madre dell'cuore? After all you have done for me? Anything I can do to repay you will be done. I am sorry for flying off the handle, though. It was uncalled for." The professor grinned widely._

"Thank you so much! I will see you in the Great Hall immediately after supper." the other woman said happily, and walked calmly back into the Great Hall.

Lily stared blankly at the wall for a moment. *What have I gotten myself into?* she wondered, and with a deep sigh, she walked off to her first class of the day.

* * * 

"…And then, Abbott steps right into the grease, slides all the way across the hallway and right into a suit of armor! The suit starts to fight, Abbott starts shrieking like a little girl and somehow ends up _inside _the armor!" Sirius finished, and the four boys laughed raucously while enjoying their lunch. "No wait, there's more!" he continued, gasping a little. "Dumbledore had to get him outta there and he lost about 20 House points for swearing and stuff!" The boys cracked up again, glad that yet another of their pranks had gone well. 

"So guys, are you signing up for the Dueling club?" Remus asked as he buttered a piece of bread. James shrugged.

"Yeah, the spell stuff will be useful. I dunno how fighting with sticks is gonna help us, though. And the Dueling competition will be loads of fun. I mean, being able to blow up Malfoy, with permission? Priceless!"

"Yeah, I get Snapey-poo." Sirius said, and chuckled evilly. The boys grinned.

"So yeah, first meeting after the classes, can't wait." Peter said. Remus shrugged.

"Did you know Evans is Assistant Instructor?" Sirius' mouth gaped in shock.

"Evans? The toothpick? She'd break if you landed a tickling charm on her! How could she do any of the martial arts crap?" James snorted in derision.

"Hate to break it to ya, Siri, but when I snuck down to her practice area, I took one step and I was pinned to the floor with a sword to my throat." James shrugged. "Not one of my favorite experiences. I didn't even see her coming, she's that fast." Sirius stared at him.

"Oh no…" he moaned. "What have we gotten ourselves into? Evans will murder us!" Remus patted his shoulder mock-reassuringly.

"There, there, Siri. I'm sure once she kills you she'll leave the rest of us alone. Think of it as a noble sacrifice!" 

"I'm too young to die!" he wailed in an annoying nasal voice, "I've got all my life to live!" He broke down into fake sobs as Peter hauled him upright, a long-suffering expression on his face.

"Come on, Mr. Dramatic. If we're late for Potions, Halloway will murder all of us!" Sirius uttered a little shriek and raced out of the room.

"Geez, sometimes I wonder…" James said, and the other boys sighed as they followed Sirius' echoes through the halls.

After dinner that evening, the boys waited in the hall with almost all of the student body. The DADA professor had come in, waved her wand (the tables had cleared away and a long rectangular platform appeared) and disappeared again, so everyone was getting kind of restless.

"Holy, it can't take that long to form a lesson plan!" Sirius said impatiently. James shifted from foot to foot.

*Come on ladies, let's hurry it up!* he thought anxiously. As if they had heard his thoughts, the two teachers appeared. The room instantly quieted as they strode to the platform.

"Good evening, everyone. I am Professor Aquila, Defense Against the Dark Arts professor and Dueling specialist. The agenda for tonight is fairly basic, I'm afraid, just to get you started. Miss Evans and I will demonstrate what Dueling actually looks like when performed by two experts. After that, we will go over some of the attack and defense spells. Finally, we will finish off with some beginning staff work. Any questions?"

One mousy-looking girl from Hufflepuff raised her hand.

"Yes, miss Goldman?"

"Why do we have to learn to fight with sticks and swords and all this ancient stuff? Shouldn't we just use wands?" For the first time that evening, Lily spoke.

"Let's say you are Dueling with a Dark wizard and he disarms you of your wand. What are you going to do, say 'Time Out' and he or she will give your wand back to you?" she said scathingly. The girl blushed. "As well, the movement for any kind of martial art will aid you in the movement with your wand. Learning to avoid sword strokes will help you to avoid other spells. Also, if you combine the two together, say a shield charm and a sword, you can channel magic with your sword to make it stronger. It will help you greatly in many ways." Lily finished.

"Any more questions before miss Evans and I duel?" No one moved. "Very well. Lily will set up the dais as I explain the rules of Dueling to you." Lily began to place shield charms around the dais as the Professor spoke. "In Dueling, you are allowed a wand and a physical attack item of your choice, be it a sword, a staff, heck, a rock if you want to!" There were some titters from the assembled students. "You are also allowed physical attacks, like punching, kicking, whatever. It is much more difficult to Duel like so than just stand there and cast spells at each other. When done properly, a real Duel is like…well, we'll just show you. Ready, miss Evans?" Lily checked the sword at her side and nodded. The two women strode to opposite ends of the rectangle and bowed. James felt a feeling of anger, of protectiveness well up. *What the hell is wrong with me?* he thought, gripping his wand until his knuckles turned white. Shaking his head slightly, he turned his head back to the stage.

"1…2…3!" the professor shouted, and the Duel began.

In a fluid movement, Lily unsheathed her sword. She held it in her left hand and her wand with her right. Waving it slightly, she cast a shield charm as she circled the older woman. The other woman had a bow and arrows, which she strung and began firing off quickly at Lily. Lily waited until the arrows were a hair's breadth from her before cutting them to pieces with her sword while they were in mid-flight. There was a gasp from the crowd as all that remained of the arrows was wood splinters. 

"Holy crap…" Remus breathed, but James was too engrossed to notice.

"Stupefy!" Lily yelled, and the red jet of light bounced off the shield charm hastily raised by the professor. She retaliated by launching herself in a flying kick directly at Lily's abdomen. It hit, and the crowd groaned. James' felt incredibly angry and had to restrain himself from jumping up there and attempting to beat the professor into a pulp. Lily lay on the ground for a moment, but flipped herself over the other woman and landed lightly on her feet. She did something with her wand, and her sword began to glow an unearthly green. Throwing her wand aside, she brandished the glowing sword at the other woman, who merely stared. They circled each other like vultures for a few moments, each feinting lightly at the other. Finally, the professor rushed at Lily, hoping to catch her off guard. Lily bounced lightly out of the way and lashed out with her sword. A whip of power spewed out the tip and wrapped around the ankles of the professor. Giving the sword a tiny flick, she hoisted the professor into the air.

"Do you yield?" she asked, holding the teacher upside down. The other woman said nothing, merely flicked her wand. A gust of wind bowled Lily over and she stumbled upright, still holding the sword. The professor drifted down to the ground. Waving her wand in a complex gesture, the bow and arrows flickered and turned into a sword. The older woman picked it up, and Lily chose that opportunity to grab her wand. 

"Now, we will demonstrate how to properly duel with swords." the professor said, hardly sounding out of breath. Lily nodded, and the two women began a pattern dance that drove them within inches of striking each other. Slice, block, spin, thrust…all was carried out at blinding speed. Finally, Lily smiled, and James could feel Peter shudder beside him. It was the same smile she wore when she changed their hair in third year. Drawing her wand, she switched her sword to her left hand and fought the same way. "Petrificus Totalus!" she shouted, and aimed it straight at the shield wall. The professor, distracted, watched its passage. Lily seized the moment and leapt on the professor, bringing her down. She leaped away quickly as the spell she had cast bounced off the wall and hit the other woman. She stiffened and lay there immobile. "Because you are unable to continue, I consider this your yield." Lily said softly, and banished the shield charm. The Hall erupted in applause and cheers, as James let out the breath he had been holding. She was safe. *What the hell?* he thought, realizing what he had been thinking during the entire duel. *Why am I thinking like this? It's only Evans, for god's sake! Get a grip!*

Meanwhile, Lily had revived the professor. "Well done, miss Evans."  the other woman said proudly. "Now, I wish you all to pair up and begin practicing some basic charms and hexes." The students paired up quickly. "We will be giving you a sheet with the important spells at the end of this class, but for now, you must remember them. The main defensive charm is _protego, the shield charm. Some attack spells are _expelliarmus_, to disarm your opponent, _stupefy_, to stun them and _petrificus totalus_, which renders a person completely immobile, as miss Evans demonstrated. The __protego charm will defend you against __expelliarmus and __stupefy but not against _petrificus totalus_. Remember you can also dodge the spells! When I shoot off sparks, you will cease practicing. Ready? 1…2…3…GO!"_

"_Protego!" James shouted, and he was encased in the golden dome. Sirius, whom he was sparring against, had repeated the same gesture. _

"_Petrificus totalus!" shouted Sirius, and the jet of blue light sped swiftly towards James. He jumped out of the way in the nick of time._

"Auditioning for the ballet, Potter?" Malfoy yelled at James over the sounds of spells being cast. (AN: I'm sorry, I couldn't resist! A little déjà vu…)

"At least I can hold my own, Malfoy." James spat back. "Snape seems to be thrashing you quite easily!" Malfoy's eyes narrowed.

"At least I don't have to spend every waking minute with that slut Evans! Unless you enjoy it, of course." he sneered. "Tell me, is she good in bed?"

"_Tarantallegra! " was James' reply. Malfoy's legs began to jerk around in a sort of quickstep._

" _Rictusempra! " Malfoy retaliated, and James flew backward several feet. Hoisting himself up, he shot off yet another hex._

"_Furnunculus! "_

"_Conjunctivitis! "_

"_Densaugeo! " Students moved out of the way of the two furiously battling boys. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Lily stalking up to them. *Oh shit.* was all he had time to think._

Lily walked right in between the two boys. Ignoring the curses flying for her, she flung out both hands and gestured with her wand. A jet of golden light streamed from each hand and knocked both Malfoy and James into the wall, hard. They both lay there for a moment, slightly dazed.

"Unless you two idiots can use some discipline, you will be expelled from this group." Lily said harshly. She walked off as James stumbled to his feet. *Well, great, now Evans thinks I'm an idiot.* _Actually, she thought that already._ said the little voice in his head. *Shut UP!* he thought furiously and walking slightly stiffly, continued sparring.

"Okay!" shouted professor Aquila, shooting off sparks from her wand. The Hall quieted. "The last exercise for this evening will be staff work. Everyone shall take a staff and stay with their partners while miss Evans and I demonstrate." Whispering an incantation ("_Ferula!"), a large number of staffs appeared. The students rushed forward as one to take a staff, then returned to their partners. "Good. Now, there are three basic types of strikes and blocks: High, Middle and Low. A High strike is like so." The professor slid her hands along the staff and thrust it down, stopping an inch from Lily's head. "A High block defends the face and head. Lily, demonstrate." Lily thrust the staff up into the air, angling it so it protected her. "When done in unison, it looks like so." The professor thrust the staff like before, only to be met with Lily's. The wood clacked sharply. James listened intently to the explanation of the Middle and Low strikes and blocks, then moved into position._

"This feels so weird. I mean, fighting with a stick?" Sirius exclaimed. James nodded fervently, as Professor Aquila had some more instructions.

"One person to attack and one person to defend. Ready? You will go High strike and block, Middle strike and block, Low strike and block. Repeat until I whistle and stay in time. 1…2…3! High! Middle! Low! High! Middle! Low!" she chanted, and all over the Hall there was the clack of wood on wood, as well as the yelps of those who's fingers got in the way.

"Faster!" barked the professor. "High! Middle! Low! High! Middle! Low!" James, who was attacking, swung the staff, which seemed to get heavier by the moment. *As soon as I am done, I am taking a loooong bath!* he thought wistfully, then cursed as he whacked his finger.

"Switch! Ready! High! Middle! Low! High! Middle! Low!" the professor kept chanting, and James began to defend himself. Everyone was getting tired, he could tell. Finally, the professor blew the whistle. Some people collapsed to the ground, others leaned heavily on the staffs.

"Very good, students. We will meet here again tomorrow night. See you then." It was obviously a dismissal, and the chattering students eased themselves out the door.

"Well, that was fun." said Remus cheerfully. Peter scowled.

"Speak for yourself." he said grumpily, nursing several badly bruised fingers. The other three boys laughed, and the happy sound receded down the hall.

Whew! That chappie seemed soooo long! Hope you enjoyed, next chappie will be out soon! Now the thanks for my WONDERFUL, AMAZING, BRILLIANT reviewers! You all get a present! *Gives them all a wooden staff* Now you too can practice like the students! Hehehehe…

**c.n.**- Yes, I know I'm evil. And I looooove it! *cackles*

**UnKnown**- I'm hurryin', I'm hurryin'…keep your socks on! Thanks for the comments!

**WolfMoon**- Yeah, I know, I was really pissed that ff.net wasn't working! S'okay, tho, I know you love me! P.S. Well, not really, but now's she's teaching!

**rachel**- *sniffles* THANKS SO MUCH!!! I love you, you make me feel so happy!!!!!

**thuyanh91**- I'm trying, I'm trying…hope this is up to your standards!

**Paliea**- I wrote more, see? More!

**FEAngel258**- Aww, one of my fav reviewers!!! *huggles* Hmmm, maybe I should do cliffys more often…hehehehe…

**wriader**- Thanks! Thanks! Thanks! Thanks! Thanks! Thanks! Thanks! Thanks! Thanks! Thanks! Thanks! Thanks! Thanks! Thanks! Thanks! Thanks! Thanks!…Whew, is that enough? *lol* No…don't hurt me! *whines*

**LillyNyx**- Yes, I am very proud. *snickers* Thanks, I think it's good too!

**Lady Draven**- Awww, thank you! I'm proud of my poems. *cough*loadacrap*cough*  Hopefully you can really visualize what's going on in this chappie.

**Ladyhawke**- Yeah, I got kinda tired of the lil' wimpy mousy Lily and the Lily who talks big and can't do anything. So, I thought I'd make her a real kickass chick! Fun, huh?

**PoTtErSPaYnE**- Thanks a bunch! My life DOES rock, now that I think about it. Although it could be better if I had a wand and went to Hogwarts…

**angel-dolphin**- Thanks a lot! Look, I wrote more soon!!!

**Ladee Shammee**- Aww, thanks! I'm gonna e-mail you as soon as this goes up! No, not stupid cliffy! Cliffys are fun to write! They make everyone made at you…hehehehe…

IMPORTANT AUTHOR'S NOTE: I have realized that there are usually some mistakes in each chappie that I post. So, I was wondering if anyone would like to beta for me? Please? My e-mail is miss_horseygirl@hotmail.com, so e-mail me if you're interested!

-eventergurl88


	10. Ch 9: Bathrooms, Battles and Bonding

Hi guys! Sorry for taking so long- I'm at my grandparent's and their computer is MEGA SLOOOOW. I swear, the thing is from the ice age or something! Anyhoo, just want to thank **vamperfly** for being my beta for this chappie (and hopefully many others! Luv ya!)

  
Chapter 9- Bathrooms, Battles and Bonding 

  
James, after bidding goodbye to his friends, headed off to the Head Dorms and the long bath he had promised himself. He reached the statue of the unicorn, and realized he didn't know the password. *Shit!* he thought ruefully. *Here we go again.* He turned and slumped down against the statue's leg, about to begin listing off passwords again, when the statue began to move. 

He jumped up, hand immediately going to the wand in his pocket. However, the statue merely stared at him, sapphire eyes glowing. "Er…can I get by? I really need a bath," he said sheepishly, feeling awfully stupid to be talking to a statue. The unicorn shifted slightly. "I'm Head Boy, you know! James Potter!" he exclaimed, starting to get irritated. The statue bowed its head and slid aside. "Uh, thanks." he said, and walked in. 

Marveling at the common room, he headed straight for the door, assuming it would be the bathroom. *Damn, I can almost hear the bathtub calling my name!* he thought, wincing at sore muscles. Pushing open the door with a sigh, he stopped dead. Lily was soaking lazily in the bathtub. *Oh, crap!* he thought, averting his eyes. He took an involuntary footstep back and she whipped around. 

"Potter!" she screeched, hastily grabbing every available bubble to cover herself. "Haven't you ever heard of something civilized called knocking?" 

James blushed so hard he thought he felt steam coming out of his ears; he noticed a pink tinge on Lily's cheeks as well. "Uh, sorry," he mumbled, trying his hardest not to stare at her. Trying to regain his composure, he stared hard at the white tile floor. "Can we have our meeting after you're done?" he asked. 

"Fine. Now, if you don't mind?" she asked tightly. Looking at her, James realized she was blushing as hard as he was a moment ago. *I haven't gotten this much of a rise out of her in years!* He grinned. *Might as well make good use of it.* 

"Yes, actually, I do mind." he stated, sitting down on the tile floor. "Now, about the theme…" 

Lily gaped at him. "James Potter! Out! Now!" she spluttered, pointing at the door. 

He smirked and swept into an imitation of a courtly bow. "As you wish, milady." he said, and winked before leaving the room. *Well, that went marginally well.* he thought, heading up to his room. *At least she didn't smash me into the wall again.* Chuckling at the memory of the look on her face, he walked into his room and collapsed on the bed. 

  
* * * 

  
Lily stared blankly at the mirror. *I don't think I've ever been so humiliated…and by Potter no less!* she thought, drying her hair. _He is pretty funny, though,_ whispered the voice in her mind. _And cute, too._ Lily stopped dead when she realized what she had thought. *Oh…my…god. I did NOT think that James Potter is cute! I didn't, I didn't, I DIDN'T!!!* _Yes, you did._ *NO!* Yes. "AAGH!" she exclaimed angrily, and slumped down against the cool tile of the floor. 

*Now he's going to be all friendly and everything, and wanting to work. Great. Just fucking great. I swore I wouldn't lift a finger to help him. Now what?* She sighed, finding no real answer. *I'll just be distant, I guess, like usual. Pretend this never happened; maybe he'll get the message.* Feeling reassured by that thought, she stood up, schooled her expression to blankness and walked out the door. 

"Lily!" James exclaimed with a smile when he saw her. His expression faltered a bit when he noticed her deadpan expression, but he kept smiling. "I thought you might have drowned in there!" 

Lily fought the urge to fire off a snappy retort and sat down directly across from him, staring at a point just above his right shoulder. 

"So, Dumbledore gave us a list of what we have to talk about." James said. Lily made no move. "According to this," he said, looking down at the scrap of parchment, "we need to discuss the prefect meetings, the theme for the Christmas ball, the points system, and morale-boosters." 

Lily didn't reply. 

"Okay," James said, his smile fading slightly, "prefect meetings. What's a good day for you?" Lily shrugged. "Anytime." she said in a monotone. 

James' jaw tightened. "Okay, we'll get back to that later." He said, his voice a little less jovial. "Themes. Any ideas? I thought maybe the Snowflake ball, and we could have snowmen and everything…" He looked at Lily. 

"Whatever." 

"Fine," he said tightly. "Rules for the ball. No one under third year?" 

*Good, he's starting to get pissed. Maybe I won't have to put up with this crap for too much longer!* she thought, keeping her stony expression. "Whatever you say, Potter." she said, unable to keep the mocking tone from her voice. At that, he finally snapped. 

Slamming the parchment down on the table, he stood up angrily. "What the hell is wrong with you?" he asked angrily. "Don't you care?" 

"As a matter of fact, I don't care, Potter." Lily said, standing up as well. "I didn't want this job, I don't care what happens and I don't care what you want. Do the work yourself." 

"Oh, do it myself, should I?" James yelled. "It's not like I wanted this job either! I do it because I care about the people in this school!" 

"Well I don't care about the people in this school," Lily hissed. "They haven't exactly been there for me, so why should I give back to them?" 

"You'd better work, Evans, or I'll…I'll…" He seemed at a loss for words, but Lily could see where his train of thought was going. Her eyes narrowed, her anger increasing tenfold. 

"You'll what, Potter?" she asked, her voice dripping venom. She stalked around the table until they were nose to nose. "Used to all the girls doing exactly what you want? Used to people just falling at your feet? You're just like the rest of them, Potter. You don't really care, you just want the authority of Head Boy so the girls will be impressed, don't you?" she spat, eyes blazing with fury. He swallowed nervously. 

"It's not like that, really!" he insisted. Lily looked at him skeptically. 

"Prove it," she whispered angrily, and returned to her seat. She stared him straight in the eyes. *Let's see if he can weasel himself out of this one.* she thought. Lily had completely forgotten about the duties of Head Girl. She was far more interested if Potter could prove himself. 

"Fine." he said arrogantly. He paused for a moment, then began to speak. "I never wanted Head Boy. It got in the way of having fun with my friends and my dad thought it was the greatest thing on earth. Anything my dad wants for me, I've found out it's usually boring or absolutely useless. But then I realized I could change stuff, you know? Have people listen to me. I mean, always at school, Sirius is the 'hot' one, Remus is the 'cute' one, and I'm stuck in the middle. People only want to get close to me so they can get close to them." 

As he spoke, Lily felt her anger draining away. *Does he really feel that way? Nah, he can't. He HAS to be making this up.* But even her thought sounded false. 

James continued, "I've never really had a serious girlfriend. The only thing here I've really lived for is Quidditch. But now…" he sighed. "I guess you were right. Once I realized the value of being Head Boy, I thought that people would finally take notice; that I wasn't just Potter, captain of the Quidditch team and friend of Sirius and Remus, but James Potter, Head Boy." He shrugged, a rueful grin making its appearance. "I can't force you to work, Lily, but I would appreciate it." He looked at her hopefully. 

*Wow,* Lily thought, stunned. *Guess he's not just a boy toy after all.* "My, you do have a way with words, Potter." She said dryly, and he looked away. 

"Now, that I've explained the history of my life, it's your turn." he said, looking back at her.

Lily paused and looked into his eyes. *Should I? Shouldn't I?* she debated with herself for a few moments. James waited patiently. *It's ok…he deserves to know. After all, he confided in me…but I can't, I'll get hurt again.* She remembered all too clearly his caustic words of a few years ago. *I don't know if this is the real Potter. It could be just an act. No,* she thought, wordlessly shaking her head, *I will not be hurt again.* 

James drew back, stunned. "Why?" he whispered. "Don't you trust me?" 

Lily almost laughed out loud. "I don't trust anyone, Potter." she replied, fiddling with the corners of the parchment. "Now, you were saying about the prefect's meeting? I'm free on any night other than the Dueling Club evenings." She looked at him expectantly. James perked up a bit, a smile coming to his face. 

"How about Thursday evening? I don't have Quidditch practice." 

Lily almost smiled back. Almost. "Sounds good to me." 

The two of them spent most of the evening planning out the details for the rest of the year. 

  
* * * 

  
Later that evening, James had gone off to roam around the castle with his friends. Lily decided to start her Transfiguration essay: _Explain the events leading up to and the discovery of Inanimate Object to Creature Switches. _ She sat in the common room, quill poised above the parchment and for the first time in her life, could not think of what to say. Flipping idly through her textbook, she had finally found something to write about when a commotion in the hall startled her. 

"Where are you, you bitch?" A male voice said, close enough to the common room entrance that she could hear him clearly. 

She heard the dull thud of flesh hitting flesh, as well as a soft moan. That decided her. Grabbing her wand, she strode out of the room. Adjusting her eyes to the gloom, she took a single footstep. It rang loudly in the silence, and a running form dashed past her. Torn between going after the culprit and going further, the sounds of someone crying floated towards her. Running cautiously towards the source, she nearly tripped over a huddled form, sobbing as if their heart was broken. Crouching down beside the person, she placed a cautious hand on their shoulder. 

"No…" croaked a feminine voice, and Lily's heart went out to the poor girl. 

"It's okay, honey," she said softly, gathering the girl up in her arms. "He's gone." The girl turned towards her, tear-stained face pale in the moonlight. "Now, come with me and we'll talk all about it." The girl nodded, now hiccuping softly. Even though Lily was strong, she was small, and she had difficulty carrying the girl back to her dorm. *I…really…need…to…use…the…weights…more…* she thought, staggering a little. She finally reached the statue, and did not even need to touch it. The unicorn slid aside swiftly and Lily staggered into the common room. Laying the girl down on the couch, she grabbed a blanket folded over a chair and covered her gently. 

"I'm Lily Evans, Head Girl." she said, waiting for the girl to calm down. Instead, her eyes widened. 

"Y-y-you? The Ice Queen?" the girl said, and Lily laughed. 

"I guess that's what they call me. And you?" 

"A-a-ariadna Figg, Ravenclaw s-s-s-sixth year prefect." 

"Nice to meet you, Ariadna." Lily said, and the girl winced. 

"P-please, don't call me that. My least favorite aunt calls me Ariadna. C-call me Aria." Slowly the girl was calming down, and Lily judged it the right time.

"What happened, Aria?" she asked, and the other girl shuddered. 

"It was S-snape, he f-followed me after dinner. He a-asked me out, I refused. H-h-he stormed off, and I didn't see him again 'till I went to the l-l-library." Aria was getting more and more upset by the moment. 

"It's okay, Aria, it's over. You can tell me what happened." Lily said soothingly, and the girl began to sob again. 

"H-h-he chased me, and I r-r-ran. I d-don't know this part of the c-c-castle very well, and I got s-s-stuck in a dead end. He…" she began to cry in earnest again. "He beat me, called me a whore. He was going to," she swallowed, "t-to rape me, I know it!" Aria flung herself at Lily, staggered slightly at the unexpected weight but hugged her back. 

*Just like me, almost.* she thought, making soothing noises and patting Aria's hair. *Only she was defenseless. How many times has this been happening in this school?* 

"He'll come after me, I know it!" Aria wailed, clutching at Lily desperately. "Help me, Lily, please!" She burst into fresh tears again, as Lily sighed. Just then, an idea popped into her head. 

"Aria, are you in the Dueling Club?" she asked. 

"Y-yes, why?" 

"So you're learning the defensive stuff. However…" she turned to the girl. "Professor Aquila also taught me some different things. Things designed for use against an attacker, things just for girls. I'll teach it to you!" Aria blanched. 

"Oh no, Lily, I couldn't do that! I'm horrible at staff fighting!" Lily stood up, and offered a hand. "Trust me, it's easy! I learned it on my first day being taught, and I didn't find it too hard. Come on…" Aria looked up at her and shook her head, stubbornness plain to read in her eyes. 

"No way." She crossed her arms and sat back. "No way in hell." 

"Well, you wanted me to help you…" Lily said, tapping her foot. 

"Not like that!" Aria protested, and Lily lost her patience. 

"Up." she said, and hauled her upright. 

"Lily! What…?" 

"You're going to learn this, Aria, it saved my life. Now, starting from the head down…eyes are vulnerable." she lectured, conjuring up an image of a man. "There are two ways to attack the eyes: one, thumbs in the eyes and jerk out," she demonstrated. 

"Eew!" Aria said, backing up. 

"Come on, don't be a wuss!" Lily exclaimed, exasperated. Aria bristled. 

"Me? A wuss? HA! Bring it on, babe!" she said angrily, and the two girls stared each other down. The corner of Lily's mouth began to twitch. Aria started to smile. The two grinned at each other, before breaking into helpless laughter.

"Oh…my…god…" Lily managed to get out. "All…you…needed…to…do…was…snap…your fingers…at me!" 

"You just watch me, girlfriend!" Aria said, doing just that. They started laughing again. 

"Okay," Lily said once they had calmed down a little, though she was still smiling broadly. Aria was looking at her oddly. "What?" she asked. 

"I haven't seen you smile in forever, you know. It gets kinda intimidating if you're always just sitting there expressionless." 

"That's the point, Aria." Lily said, without really thinking about it. "Now, the other eye strike…"

"You WANT to make people stay away from you?" the other girl said, incredulous. "Why?" 

"Aria…" Lily started, then stopped. "I don't want to talk about it." She turned away. 

"Okay." The other girl said softly. Lily looked at her, shocked. 

"That's it? You're not going to bug me about it?" Aria shrugged. 

"Hey, I can't force you. You can tell me whenever you want to. I mean, you have a right to your privacy, right?" 

"Wow, Aria. Thanks." Lily said. *I don't know what to say,* she thought, her mind reeling. *I never thought anyone could be so…nice.* 

"Hey, that's how I feel." Aria shrugged. "Now, eye strikes?" she prompted. 

"Oh yeah…right. Now, the other eye strike…"

  
* * * 

  
It was very late when the two girls were finished. "Y-you'd better head back to your dorms, Aria." Lily said, yawning. Aria looked at her shyly. 

"I have a favor to ask…" she said softly. 

"What?" 

"Can I stay here tonight? I mean, all my roommates won't care where I am and I don't think I'm up to facing them right now. Please?" Trying to make light of the situation, Aria put on a puppy-dog face, pout and all. 

Lily giggled. "Sure, Aria. We're gonna have to share the bed, though. It's okay, it's huge!" 

Aria surprised Lily once again by hugging her fiercely. "Thanks Lily. I'm glad you understand." Lily hugged back. 

"Hey, you're the first person I've been able to talk to in a while. No prob. Now, come on! My room rocks, you'll love it!" The two girls raced up the stairs. 

"Oh my GOD!" Aria shrieked, and the two of them collapsed on the bed. 

"I have some extra pj's you can borrow." Lily offered. She hopped up and grabbed two pairs. 

"Thanks, Lils, you rock!" 

Lily looked at Aria strangely. "Lils?" 

Aria shrugged. "Hey, if I have a nickname, it's only fair you get one too. Lils is pretty good, I think. Or it could be Lilsy…or just Lil. Or maybe Li-" Before Aria could say any more outrageous suggestions, Lily whacked her with one of her many pillows. "Hey!" Aria shouted, and grabbed a pillow of her own. It escalated into a full-blown pillow war faster than you could say "Dueling". 

Later, after they had changed, brushed their teeth and hopped into bed, they lay there in silence for a few moments. 

"Lils?" Aria asked cautiously. 

"Yeah?" 

"What happened?" Lily knew she wasn't referring to that evening. 

"It's not exactly a happy bedtime story, you know." she said, and Aria shrugged. 

"Hey, you're my friend. I'll start with my life story, if you want." 

Lily groaned. "Aria, I'm tired." she whined. 

Aria pouted. "Pleeeeeease?" Lily rolled over, stuck her head under a pillow and pretended not to hear. Aria took a deep breath. "PLEEEEEEEEEEEASE?" 

"Ack! Fine! You first, though." Lily sat up, all joking forgotten as she listened intently. 

"I dunno…my life really hasn't been that exciting. I was born on March 8, the day after my mom's birthday. She always said I was her belated birthday present, even though she wanted a new oven." Lily chuckled. "I live in Surrey with my mom, my dad and my two sisters. I'm the youngest, which kinda sucks, but hey. My oldest sister, Arabella, is a Squib. She works in the Ministry, in the Muggle Liaison Office. My other sister, Ardana, is a fashion designer." 

"That's pretty cool." Lily said. 

Aria shrugged. "We were really close when we were little. Now that she's a big name, she's never home any more. She acts all snobby and stuck-up, too. Anyways, I got my letter, went here, got sorted into Ravenclaw…never really had any true friends. I mean, I'm smart, but I don't wander around with my nose in a book. A lot of them do. My roommates don't, but sometimes I wish they did." Aria sighed. "They're boy- crazy, obsessed with makeup, you know, the works. I mean, I like to shop and all that, but it's not…like…" Aria struggled to find the right word.

"A need." Lily filled in. 

"Yeah. So, I was Prefect last year too, I love to watch Quidditch, I'd play if I was good enough, I had a boyfriend last year, Amos Diggory, but he totally played me. I dumped him before it went too far, though. There's nothing much else to say, really. My life's been pretty normal, at least until Snape…" Aria turned over to look at Lily. "That's it, really. Your turn!" She chirped, looking expectantly at Lily. 

"Aria…can I trust you?" Lily asked. She had never felt so vulnerable in her life. 

"Of course you can!" Aria looked almost insulted. "I would never, ever, EVER do anything to betray your trust, Lils. I really want to know, because it will help me understand the real Lily Evans. That's all. You're my friend, Lils. Friends trust each other." 

"I thought I had friends." Lily said softly. 

"Just start from the beginning." Aria said soothingly. 

Lily took a deep, shuddering breath, then began. "I never knew who my father was. My mother, my sister Petunia and I all lived in…" she paused. "In a whorehouse." Aria said nothing, just waited. 

"I never actually slept with anyone. I just danced. My sister, who is older, and my mother did that. Eventually, Petunia ran away and Mom was pissed. She was a drunkard, you know. So, I had to replace Petunia. It was my first time, me all dressed up in practically nothing, my Mom practically foaming at the mouth with greed. I had attracted a wealthy customer and he paid big money for the privilege of having me. It was just about to happen, I panicked, I was helpless. I don't really remember this part very well; the next thing I knew, a kind of barrier in my mind had burst and I had exploded the whole building." 

Aria was nodding with a kind of fierce joy. "Good. That's exactly what those bastards deserved." Lily kept going. 

"I ended up here at the beginning of the summer, barely 13 and naïve as hell. Dumbledore explained everything to me; I went to Diagon Alley and spent the rest of the summer studying to catch up with everyone my age. I was sorted into Gryffindor at the beginning of the school year." 

"I remember that," Aria said. "All the guys at the Ravenclaw table were practically drooling." Lily smiled sadly. 

"So, I met the Marauders, they seemed nice. I was so glad to be out of that hellhole of a place, that I thought everyone here was a saint. Big mistake. That night, Malfoy asked me out, I met my roommates who seemed really nice, if a little vain, and the Marauders declared war on my because I was going out with a Slytherin. A few months passed happily…Oh! Professor Aquila had been assigned to teach me self-defense. She went further than that; she declared that I would learn every fighting style that she knew." 

"But why, though?" Aria asked. "I mean, why just you?" 

"Aria, I'm an enchantress. Like Morgan Le Fay in King Arthur's time." Aria gasped. 

"I thought that was just a legend!" 

Lily smiled wryly. "That's me, Lily E., ensnarer of men's hearts and destroyer of true love." 

Aria shook her head vehemently. "No, Lils. Just 'cause you have this power doesn't mean you're evil. I mean, that's what Muggles think; that all witches and wizards are evil. You are whatever you choose to be and don't you forget it!" 

Lily smiled, a true smile this time. "Thanks. Now, where was I? Oh yeah…" Her expression hardened. "I went up with Malfoy one night to the Astronomy tower. Things started to get a little out of hand, I told him to stop and he basically said he was going to rape me." 

"What an asshole!" Aria exclaimed. 

"What he didn't know, was that I trained in martial arts. He had my wand; he thought I was helpless, he was wrong. I managed to run, but he found me. A necklace he had given me had a tracking spell in it, so I couldn't hide. Anyways, he just pissed me off so much that I snapped my heels off and beat the shit out of him." 

"Yes!" Aria exclaimed with fierce pride. 

Lily merely continued. "I beat him to a pulp, and then I was horrified. I mean, I kept hitting him even after he was knocked out. I ran back to my dorm, told my roommates…what a mistake. They shunned me, told me I should have 'given him some' because I was such a slut and told me never to come back again. So, I packed my stuff and went down to the common room. Of course, the Marauders were there." Lily sighed. "They told me as well that it was all my fault, without even asking for my side of the story. So, I swore never to get close to anyone again." She smiled wryly at Aria. "Now I've broken my own rule."

"Oh, honey…" Aria said, and sat up. She pulled Lily into a hug, and then, finally, Lily let the tears fall that she had kept inside for five long years.

"I t-t-tried to be strong." Lily said through her racking sobs. "I t-t-tried not to c-care. But it h-h-hurt, seeing everyone s-s-shun me. No one even a-asked for what r-r-really happened!" 

"It's okay…ssshhh…" Aria said soothingly. 

Lily's sobs quieted after a while. "Thanks Aria. Now we've both let it all out, I guess." she said, sniffling. 

"Friends forever?" the other girl said with a smile. 

"Forever." Lily said, and they hugged once more before dropping off into a deep sleep. 

Oh…my…god. I have SO MANY REVIEWS! WAHAHAHAHAHA!!! *does happy dance* Uh…yeah. Don't ask. *blushes* You all get one of the bubbles from Lily's bath! Enjoy the cinnamon-scentedness! (Is that even a word?*ponders*)  
**LilyPrincess**- The thing is, being adolescent self-centered gits, they've completely forgotten what they did to poor old Lilsy. She still remembers, though…hehehe…  
**Brandi**- Aww, thank you so much! *cries* Sorry for making you wait…  
**LillixRox'09**- S'okay, I know you luv me…I hope…The plot's going to get veeeery interesting soon…  
**FEAngel258**-Nope, but I read a lot about it-Tamora Pierce (Protector of the Small is really descriptive) and Mercedes Lackey (not as much detail, but it tells lots 'bout real fighting!) Yes, you are very, very SPECIAL!!! FEEL HONORED!!!  
**Wolfmoon**- Uh, yeah. Not exactly really soon. Sorry. *cringes* Don't hurt me, then I can't write any more!  
**Ladee Shammee**- No problemo! Glad you enjoyed.  
** PoTeRsPaYnE**-*sighs* You ain't the only one, hun… Glad you like the fic, tho.  
**PEDANTiC MEMORiES**- Heehee! The bathroom scene! *grin* Don't worry, it'll happen soon…ish,  
**ice princess12**- I'm goin', I'm goin'! Sshh…don't tell! (Like everyone doesn't already know…) Sorry, haven't had any time to read your stories…yet. I will, I promise!  
**Agloechen**-Wow. You. Liked. My. Sad. Poetry. I'm stunned. Er, yeah…so much for asap…hehe...  
**Euca**- Yeah, the plot was kinda weird, but hey. Thanks, good to know I'm improving! Yeah, I love Kel too. P.S Don't worry about it, I used to annoy my english teacher by reading in class. The idiot actually gave me a detention!  
**SummerRainForever**- AAAAAAH! *runs away from wooden stick* Don't hurt me! Please! Look, I updated! Sorry, tho…  
**high?D**- I'm hurryin', I'm hurryin'!  
**magictwinkle**-Yuppers! Luv them TONS!  
** Lady Draven**- Yeah, I loved writing them, they were SOOO much fun!!!  
**angel-dolphin1**- I'll try…as long as I keep updating…*blushes*  
**Paleia or bloodbunny**- Glad you like!  
**Trapped in Icy Flame**- Oh. Uh, sorry. I didn't know the name 'remie' was like, copyright or something. If it's actually your NAME, like as in REAL NAME, then I didn't mean any implication or anything. Sorry again!  
**mmn673**- Been there, done that, bought the t-shirt. *points to shirt that says 'I saw Lily beat the living shit out of Malfoy and laughed my ass off!'* Re-read chap. 5- Shattered Illusions!  
**Galene**- Aw. James the protector. Kinda sad, ain't it? Lily can beat the shit out of him, and he still wants to protect her! Oh well. The male race. *shrugs* Get some sleep, and then you can read this chappie!  
** Professional scatterbrain**- *chants* I'll never tell, I'll never tell… Here's some more!  
**harper92**- Don't worry, I can't just shove them together! I've got it all planned out…if you're a romantic sap like me, you'll love it!  
**Dragon Pearl**-CRAZY PEOPLE OF THE WORLD UNITE!!! Yeah, me too. It was a lot of fun writing that part!  
**liz valentine**- DAHLIN! I thought you'd ABANDONED me! *sob* Yeah, she's starting to thaw…a little. Not too much, though. That would ruin the plot! Oh, HORRORS!  
**vamperfly**- Ah, my WONDERFUL, SPLENDIFEROUS, PRETTYFUL beta! Yes, I love the Sorting Hat's song- it took me forever, too! Kewl, you have a sword? Me too! *draws sword of Gryffindor* hehehehe…*lolz*  
**Emerald2**- Do I do that? COOL! Well, yeah, it's kinda hard to ignore her…sucks to be Jamesie…*snickers*  
**PsYcHo-Me**- HI!!!! I MISSED YOU!!! Wow, glad you love it, hope this chappie is just as good!  
**artemis** HAPPY slightly belated BIRTHDAY TO YOOOOU!!!! Consider this chappie the continuation of your present! It'll be a while before it's done I'm afraid…  
**SilentMidnight**-Yeah, I guess so, but I kinda like her this way. I mean, JK's Lily isn't really a wimp, so I just kinda expanded that…just a little bit. Thanks for the comments!  
**sodapopgirl703**- *hangs her head in shame* I know, I know, I'm evil…sorry! Wow, such poetry, you should write the next poem in this fic!  
And finally (whew, my fingers are tired…)  
**bloodbunny**- Thanks so much, I'm glad you like.  
Toodles!  
-eventergurl88  
P.S See that lil' blue box down there? You know, the one that says 'Submit Review'? Well, click on it and write me a line…or two…or three! I love reviews! 


	11. Ch 10: Lessons in Life

Hey guys! Again, sorry to make you wait for so long- I had just the eensiest bit of writer's block. This chappie is fairly long though, so hope you enjoy! Again, HUMONGOUS thanks to vamperfly for betaing!

chapter 10: Lessons in Life

"So everything's set?" James whispered to the other Marauders as they padded through darkened halls.

"Yup, it'll be a blast!" Sirius replied. The four boys chuckled in anticipation.

"Well, here's my turnoff." James said, going into a smaller hallway. "See you guys in the morning, and don't forget the ribbon!"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," Peter shrugged, and the boys parted ways, the other three going off to the Gryffindor dorms.

James walked up to the unicorn statue, and patted its horn amicably. *No matter how many times I'll do that this year, it still feels weird,* he thought, trudging through the opened space as the statue slid aside. He caught a quick glimpse of red hair running up the stairs; *Lily,* he thought instantly, followed by a head of long black hair. *Hang on...long black hair? What the hell?* Without thinking, he tried to race up the stairs to Lily's room. He got about halfway up when he hit an invisible barrier and the stairs behind him slid into a ramp. He fell face-first and promptly slid all the way down and into the opposite wall. 

"FU-dge!" he exclaimed angrily. He sat up, thankful that no one had witnessed his inglorious fall. "Okay, so I can't go and find out right now," he muttered, rubbing a newly forming lump on his head. "When she tells me, though, it had better be good." Walking grumpily into the bathroom, he brushed his teeth.

James headed up the stairs, changed and got into bed. He lay there for a moment in silence, until it was punctuated by a fit of giggling from the other room. James groaned. *Oh NO!* he thought, and tried to muffle the sound by stuffing his head under his pillow. Needless to say, it didn't work. He lay in bed and tried to ignore the conversation. That is, until he heard the sounds of crying. He sat bolt upright, fumbling for his wand. He heard a second voice, soothing the crying one, and he relaxed marginally. *I only care because I can't sleep,* he thought firmly. _Suuure,_ came the mocking reply. *If this was the middle of the day, I wouldn't care at all!* he declared to himself, and it was as if he heard a kind of chuckling from far off. _Right, James. Keep telling yourself that, if you need to give yourself a reason to care._ *What?* he thought, slightly confused, but it seemed that the other awareness had gone. 

"Okay." James said, getting out of bed and pacing around his room. "I have officially gone insane."

"Very good, dear." the mirror wheezed sleepily.

* * *

Despite her late night, Lily woke up early the next morning. She looked down at the sleeping form of Aria next to her. *Oh man,* she thought wryly as she got up and searched for her workout clothes. *I made a huge mistake. She'll probably run back to all her friends and tell them everything. It'll be all over the school by nine o'clock.* Lily sighed, got changed and headed out the door. She walked down the steps to get to the Common Room and was about to go out the passageway, when she was halted by a voice.

"Who was that?" the voice said.

Lily whirled around to see James staring intently at her from an armchair close to the fire. There were dark circles under his eyes. "You look like shit, Potter," she observed critically.

"Thanks to you in part!" he shot back.

"Well, aren't we just a little ray of sunshine this morning." Lily said sarcastically, sitting down on the armchair across from his.

"You and your...friend kept me up last night! I didn't sleep at all, I feel like crap and we have a Potions test today!" James was definitely grumpy.

"Well, why didn't you come up and tell us, then?" Lily asked. 

To her surprise, James averted his eyes and looked almost embarrassed. "I, er, tried...the staircase turned into a ramp and I slid back down."

Lily chuckled. "No, you can't come up to my dorm. Why didn't you owl us, or floo your head over..."

Now hearing these more sensible ideas, James tried (and failed) to regain the upper hand. "You keep saying us, who was it? We're not allowed to have anyone spend the night, you know!"

Lily's eyes narrowed. "For your information, Potter, she was almost raped by a student. She was so frightened she didn't want to go back to her dorms so I let her stay here. You think Dumbledore is going to reprimand me for doing that?" she shot back.

"R-raped? By who?" James looked stunned.

"None of your business." Lily said curtly. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm already late."

"She can't have been that traumatized if you were giggling together," James grumbled. 

"Well, girls who have almost been raped have some similar experiences, you know. I was merely making her feel better. I'm sure you have no idea," Lily said caustically, already out of the doorway and impatient to leave.

"Yeah, yeah...WHAT?" James yelped, but Lily ignored him; she was already gone. She ran down to the Quidditch Pitch and did her usual 8 laps, her mind churning. *As soon as I'm done, I'd better go back and talk to Aria. Let her know I won't put up with any garbage.* She finished her laps faster than usual, ran to her workout room, grabbed her sword and began a pattern dance twice the speed than normal. She finished quickly, did a martial arts pattern dance and raced back to her dorm just as dawn was breaking over the horizon.

Running through the common room, she rushed up to her room and breathed a sigh of relief. Aria was still there, sleeping peacefully. "Aria, wake up," she said, shaking her gently by the shoulder.

"Hmmm...wha...wonder bunny...grnzz..." Aria said, oh so coherently, and turned over.

Lily frowned. "Aria, get UP!" she said loudly, and hauled her upright.

"Oh...Lils....five more minutes..." Aria's eyes flickered open, then closed. 

Lily's patience snapped. "ARIA!" she shrieked, promptly dumped her on the floor and shot a jet of ice-cold water at her.

"YAAAAAAGH!" Aria jumped up, eyes wide open. "Yeah, Lils, I'm awake. What's so urgent that you need to talk to me this instant?" She stared at Lily, slightly bemused.

"Look, Aria. I'm not gonna put up with any shit. Anything I told you stays between you and me, got it? I made a mistake last night, so I'm just gonna act like it never happened. I suggest you do that too." Lily turned away, ignoring Aria staring at her in shock.

"Lily?" she asked softly, reeling almost as if she'd been slapped.

"What? You're just going to betray me, like everyone else did," Lily said curtly. She took two steps out the door onto the balcony above the common room.

"Wait," Aria said quietly. Almost against her will, Lily stopped. Aria stepped out to face her. "Why are you so convinced I'll betray you? Just because you had some friends who did, doesn't mean I will."

"How do I know that?" Lily snapped.

"You don't. It's called trust!" Aria exclaimed. "Look, I trust you, even now that you've said some really hurtful things. I thought you trusted me too, but I guess not. You should have faith in people, Lily." Aria's eyes shone with barely-repressed tears.

Now it was Lily's turn to be shocked. "You-you trust me?" She sounded almost incredulous.

"Yes, Lily, I trust you. I'm sorry that you don't trust me. I'll go get my stuff." Aria turned and went back into the room.

Lily stood on the balcony, feeling as if she had just been hit on the head with something very hard. A voice broke her out of her reverie.

"She's right, you know. You should trust people." Lily looked down at James, sitting casually in an armchair.

"Didn't your mother ever teach you not to eavesdrop?" she snapped.

He smirked. "She tried...it didn't work." 

Lily searched for a satisfactory response, though her wits seemed to be swimming in mud. "Well, tell her to try harder!" she shot back weakly.

His grin spread even wider. "So, Lily...about what you said this morning..." he started, but Lily whirled and fled back into her room.

"What?" Aria asked the moment she saw her. "Aren't I leaving fast enough for you?"

Lily fumbled for words. "Look, Aria...I...I don't know what to say."

"Then say 'Good-bye Aria, I never want to see your ugly face again.'" Aria said with an air of false bravado. "I guess 'friends forever' means nothing to you," she added quietly. 

"Aria...I'm sorry. I should have trusted you." Lily said as she desperately tried to make amends.

"Too late now," the other girl muttered bitterly and stood up to leave.

"Aria, I know I said some really mean things but I didn't want to get hurt again! You made me realize that I need to trust people and I shouldn't assume a stereotype from some people's cruelty. I mean, you showed me what it's really like to trust. It just...struck me, just like that, that I can't go on living the way I was. It was killing me, inside. But now, I felt last night what it was really like to have a close friend! It was like a part of me was complete! And now..." Lily took a deep, shuddering breath, "I've ruined it all."

Aria turned to face her. "What made you say all that other stuff?" she said softly.

"I...I don't know. Fear? Anger? My own messed-up psyche?" Lily scrubbed at her face angrily. "I'm sorry," she whispered. 

Aria's eyes filled with tears, as well as Lily's. Before they really knew what they were doing, the two girls flew into a hug, tears streaming down both their faces. After a long moment, they broke apart, almost embarrassed.

"So do you still want to be friends?" Lily asked carefully.

"Are you insane?!? Who else could keep you laughing like me?" Aria, trying to lighten the situation, made a noble pose. Lily chuckled.

"Awww...how sweet!" James cooed from downstairs.

"Shut up, Potter!" the two of them yelled in unison. Laughing, their arms around each other, they headed off to breakfast.

"But Lily, about...morning...AARGH!" was all James could get out.

* * *

"Hey guys!" James bounced over to where his friends were sitting, his happy mood regained.

"Hey Prongsie, you ready?" Sirius asked, smirking evilly.

"Yup, all set. Where's the ribbon?" Remus thrust a little scrap of pink ribbon at James.

"Charmed and ready," said Peter excitedly. 

James looked in scorn at the ribbon in front of him. "Couldn't you have a found another color than _pink_?"

Sirius shrugged, "Hey man, you take what you can get. You don't think I just happen to have ribbons lying around somewhere, do you?"

"You never know with you, Siri," James said nonchalantly. Remus and Peter snickered.

"Hurry up, all the Slytherins are already eating!" Sirius said, brushing off James' previous comment.

Taking a deep breath, James focused on the Slytherin table and carefully, slowly, tied a simple knot in the ribbon. The other boys eagerly waited in anticipation of mayhem.

Nothing happened.

"What? I thought you said you charmed this thing?" James said, astonished and just a tad angry.

"Hey, we did! We followed the instructions in the book exactly!"

"Not quite," interrupted a dry voice.

The four boys whirled around to see Lily standing next to them. "Go take your charming self elsewhere, Evans." Sirius snapped.

Lily ignored him, "If you had read the book fully, you would have read the footnote on Arabian string magic." Lily said, grabbing the scrap of ribbon out of James' nerveless hands.

"Yeah? So? Sorry if we don't read every book cover to cover. Unlike some, we have a life." Peter said angrily. Again, Lily ignored him. Instead, she tied a quick knot in the ribbon.

Mayhem. Utter mayhem.

Fireworks erupted from beneath the Slytherins' chairs and zoomed around the room, lifting some of them in the air. Dungbombs erupted from nearly every plate of food, spattering everyone, and as a finishing touch, Snape gave a squawk and turned into a giant chicken. He began to flap around madly as Malfoy twitched and turned into a huge cockroach. Students screamed as he began to scuttle around and many climbed onto chairs and tables. Snape-the-chicken rushed at Malfoy-the-cockroach and began to frantically peck at him. Others screamed encouragement:

"Go on, Snape, eat him!"

"Are ya chicken?"

"C'mon Malfoy, you have six legs to his two!"

"Use your feelers!"

"How...what...why...?" Remus stuttered. The other boys merely stared. Lily smiled and turned to walk away.

"Wait! How did you do that?" James said, starting up after her.

"Arabian string magic is based on weaving," she said. James looked at her blankly. "_Meaning_ it can only be used by a female. Unless you have some estrogen floating around your system, there was no way that spell would have worked for you, whether the charm was set correctly or not." She easily ducked a bowl of flying cereal. It promptly hit James in the stomach instead. Seeing his incapacitated state, Lily turned again.

"How...did you...know...what we...were doing?" he wheezed, clutching his stomach.

"Just taking a leaf out of your book," Lily smirked. "My mother never did teach me not to eavesdrop." Turning around once more, she sauntered towards the Ravenclaw table, grabbed her friend (*Aria* a dim corner of James's mind noted) and headed off to class.

"Oops," he muttered, and headed back to his friends. Sirius had scrambled eggs strewn through his hair, Peter had a piece of bacon over his ear and Remus was absolutely covered in orange juice. "Not too bad, eh guys?" he asked, smiling.

"Yeah. Just great. Other than the fact that Evans did our prank for us." Peter snarled.

James shrugged. "Arabian string magic is _girl's_ magic, guys. We could never have done it ourselves, then all that work last night would've gone for nothing."

"Better that then have her show us up," grumbled Sirius.

"What do you have against her?" James asked quizzically.

"WHAT DO I HAVE AGAINST HER!?! Prongs, have you gone completely round the twist? SHE bewitched our hair in third year; SHE went out with Malfoy before we even had a chance; SHE expected us to comfort her when we warned her about him; SHE ignored us and our pranks for the past four years; and SHE is one of the most infuriating creatures on the planet!" Sirius raged.

"You're still sore about the hair thing?" Remus asked, slightly puzzled.

"Uh, YEAH! She threw our own prank right back in our faces and it didn't come out for a week! We looked like fools!" Peter snapped.

James held up his hands for calm, even as food flew overhead and the teachers tried to regain order. "Guys! Relax! Why are we fighting about Lily?" James said quizzically. 

Peter turned on him. "Oh, on a first name basis now, are we? She gave you a chance but she never gave one to us?" he growled.

"I have to work with her, you know! I'd rather we not be at each other's throats!" James snapped, his temper finally getting the better of him.

"CALM DOWN!" Remus shouted. The other boys stared at him in shock. "Look, the full moon is in a few days. If we want to go explore, we'll have to stay together! So our prank was screwed, so what? Look at the chaos!"

Almost as if noticing it for the first time, the boys turned in shock to McGonagall trying to un-transfigure Snape and Malfoy, while food was being flung everywhere. As if on cue, a pot of oatmeal dumped on the professor's head and she shrieked bloody murder.

"Hey...yeah!" Sirius exclaimed, his mercurial temper shifting back to happy. "Look at that! It would have worked if we were girls!"

"I'll leave that one to you, Padfoot." Remus said dryly.

"Look, all of the professors are gone and we have Potions now. C'mon guys, we can plan our next prank!" James exclaimed.

The four Marauders, reunited once again, ducked flying food as they raced out of the Great Hall. Everything seemed fine, but tempers seethed just below the surface. That same argument would continue in full and then, no one would intervene.

* * *

"So what's on the schedule for tonight, Professor?" Lily asked Professor Aquila as they prepared for their next Dueling club lesson.

"Well, mostly martial arts for tonight. No wand work, a little staffs if they're up to it." The professor ticked the items off her fingers as she listed them.

"What are we starting with?" Lily asked lazily, making all the tables move away with a wave of her wand.

"Karate. You know, how to fall, basic punches and kicks, all that. You can teach them that- you're better at it than me."

Lily turned to gape at the other woman. "W-what? I could NEVER be better than you!"

The other woman chuckled. "_Figlia_, you're practically my equal! My better in some things, this being one of them. You need some self-confidence."

"Yeah, but every time I get a little confident you dump me on the floor." Lily joked. The two laughed as students began to trickle in. Once everyone was assembled, Lily stepped up onto the dais.

"We won't be doing any wand work tonight." Some students groaned. "No need to sound so cheerful," Lily said sarcastically, "instead, we'll be starting martial arts, namely Karate. I know some of you may have done this before; whoever has will go with Professor Aquila. Everyone else will be with me."

As she stepped off the dais, she was nearly overwhelmed by the crush of people moving towards her. Most of the muggleborns went with the Professor, but the ones from wizarding families obviously had no clue. Surprisingly, it was almost a half-and-half division.

"Okay!" she shouted as the room went quiet; she could see the professor speaking, but couldn't hear a word she said. *She must have put a sound barrier dividing the room, smart,* she thought idly. "The first thing is to learn how to fall."

"Really, Evans, do we have to learn that?" Snape said from the front row. Without saying a word, she stalked over to him and promptly threw him on the floor. "Ow! What the...." He trailed off when he noticed her glaring at him.

"Trust me, Snape, you will definitely hit the floor. If you want to hit it as hard as possible, fine by me," she said icily, then stepped back onto the dais. "Now, the proper way to fall is to slap the ground, whichever way you fall. It sounds stupid, I know, but it takes the pressure off you and onto your hands, and you will be up quicker. Now, everyone will get in a line and I will throw you. You will fall, and will slap the ground." No one moved. "Preferably this century..." Lily said impatiently.

Aria stepped up. "Throw away, Lils," she said confidently.

Lily gave her a wide smile, and tossed her gently over her hip. She winced at the smack Aria made, and heard the dull thud made by her hands. "Good, Aria, but you want to slap the ground right as you hit the ground, not after." She beckoned to the other students. "After this, we'll move on to punching..." she said tantalizingly. The line formed immediately.

Lily lost count of the number of people she tossed, but she made sure to vary her throw each time. When James finally stepped up, she gave him a smirk.

"Easy throw or hard one?" she asked, and he opened his mouth to reply. "Too late." she said wickedly, grabbed him around the wrist and flipped him onto the floor, all in one smooth movement. Amazingly, he still smacked the floor with his hands. "Good, Potter," she said, slightly surprised.

"You know, that did actually work..." he trailed off, but moved quickly out of the way as a Ravenclaw girl hit the ground. Lily was back to business.

After she had tossed everyone on the ground, commented on people's falls and repeated the exercise, she deemed it appropriate to move on. Many of the students were rubbing bruises when she had finished.

"Good, everyone!" Lily said happily. To everyone's disbelief, she actually smiled. The moment quickly passed as she began barking orders. "I want everyone to make four lines across the room. Spread yourselves out evenly; make sure there is enough space between you and the person in front of you." To her surprise, everyone did just that, even the Slytherins. "Okay, when you start your punch, form your hand into a fist. You want to hit with your knuckles; otherwise you'll break your fingers. Bring both fists up to your chest." She demonstrated, and nearly laughed out loud at the uncertain actions of the students following her. "You'll start the punching exercise with your right hand held slightly in front, knuckles out, fist up."

"Fist up?" she heard someone exclaim.

"To punch properly, you do not simply stick your fist straight out. Twist your wrist as you move your arm forward until your arm is partially extended and your knuckles are facing forward. Doing it this way gives it more power and ensures you don't break your arm. When you retract your arm, you twist your wrist again until you are in the starting position. Repeat again with your left hand. I'll demonstrate, slowly." Lily slowly extended her right arm in a correct punch, then her left. "Okay everyone. Right punch!" Students uncertainly copied her gesture. "Left...right! Left...right! Everyone got the hang of it?" She was reassured by enthusiastic nods. "That means we go faster! Right! Left! Right! Left! Right! Left! Put some force into it! Right! Left! Right! Left!" Lily stopped chanting the rhythm as she walked around inspecting punches.

"Twist, Pettigrew! Don't just punch straight! Keep in time, Malfoy! Good, Lupin! Good, Figg! Very good, Fawcett! Excellent, Dawson! Put some more force into it, Bellevue! Potter...." She stopped at James, who looked completely confused.

"Lily, I don't get it." She sighed, and turned her back to him.

"Put your arms on top of mine."

"What?!?" he yelped.

"Put your hands...on top of my fists." she said slowly. She heard the onrush of air as he stepped closer, and his hands, surprisingly gentle, folded over her own. She took a deep breath, suddenly nervous. "Okay, follow my movement." She then demonstrated the punch movement, his hands following hers.

"Oh. I get it now." he said as she repeated the left fist. "I wasn't starting correctly." She paused as a thought struck her. *I am being held in Potter's arms. Oh my fucking god.* Lily tensed and quickly stepped out of his grasp, shocked at the sudden gust of cold air that swept across her back. James acted as if this was nothing out of the ordinary.

"Now show me." she ordered, trying to regain her calm. He demonstrated and she nodded her approval. "Good, go back to the exercise." He got back in rhythm as she continued inspecting punches.

"Hey, Evans, help me the same way you helped Potter!" exclaimed a Slytherin boy, leering at her.

"You were doing it just fine a moment ago." she said sweetly. "Unless you need some more help with falling?" The boy quickly went back to the exercise, as she continued to criticize.

"Good, Black! Again, some more power, Finnegan! Very good, Johnston! Good, Harris! Keep in rhythm, Russell! You too, Kingsley!"

* * * As they went through blocks and kicks the same way, everyone began to get a bit tired. Lily called a rest break, and took a quick glance over at the Professor. She was teaching her students some of the fancier throws, so Lily deemed it appropriate to continue.

"Okay guys! Time for some more fun!" she said, and everyone looked in her in disbelief.

"Evans, your idea of 'fun' is my idea of torture," said a Ravenclaw as he massaged a bruise on his knuckle. There were murmurs of assent.

"Don't worry; this is fun, really." Everyone still looked skeptical. Using her wand, she summoned the many punching cushions from around the room. "Everybody partner up, and then each pair get one cushion." Looking slightly more hopeful, the students rushed up to get the punching cushions.

"Now, instead of just punching and kicking empty air, now we get to practice against something a little more solid: the punching block." There were smiles among the students. Some looked excited. "Obviously, one partner attacks and one partner holds the cushion. We will switch, though, so no need to fight about who goes first. You hold the cushion with your right hand holding the horizontal strap, like so," she demonstrated, "and your left hand holding the vertical strap. Stand with one foot forward and one foot sideways; this will keep you balanced so you don't fall over. And, those attacking..." she grinned wolfishly. "Don't hold back. All I ask for the pattern to be is punch, punch, kick. I don't care how you do it, as long as you hit the cushion. I want some force in these blows! Okay, go!" Students moved into action. Some seemed eager, others seemed to be hardly trying at all.

"HOLD IT!" Lily roared over the noise. Somehow, everyone stopped. "Some of you seem to be holding back, like Pettigrew here." She motioned the shorter boy forward. "Hold this cushion." she ordered, and he did so, albeit slightly reluctantly. "Now, I want all of you to attack like this. Ready, Pettigrew?" He barely nodded.

Lily threw herself into the exercise. Punch, punch, kick was executed in a blur as Peter staggered back under the force of her assault. She varied the blows, varied the order, and stopped, just as suddenly as she had began. "If you had stood correctly, Pettigrew, you would not have moved," she noted dispassionately, hardly breathing hard at all. He looked at her with resentment, nodded, and slipped back into his place in line. "Just as hard as I did," she reminded the students. "Those holding the cushion, it'll be your turn in a moment." The students seemed to hold their breath, waiting for a signal.

"Go," she said quietly, and the resulting flurry of movement was astounding. Lily strolled around the room, hardly making a comment, just watching everyone throw themselves whole-heartedly at the cushions. She even smiled at Marcy, a shy Hufflepuff, beating the cushion so hard that she was making a dent in it.

After a few minutes, when those attacking began to flag, she called a halt. "Switch!" she called, and those previously holding the cushion handed it over with some glee. After everyone was ready, she called out "Go!" once more. Again, everyone threw themselves, without any restraint, at the punching blocks. Aria was slowly forcing her partner back, and Lily corrected the other girl's stance quickly. Sirius was punching the block without any problem, as was Remus, so she moved on. Malfoy had gone back to the old style of punching again, and she sighed.

"Malfoy, stop." she ordered. He paused, and turned to look at her, a sneer gracing his features. "You're punching wrong," she said simply.

"Oh, really?" he said silkily. His eyes glittered with malice, and he took a swing at her, which Lily easily dodged. "Something wrong, Evans?" he said, breathing hard. "Too cowardly to face me?"

Lily's eyes narrowed. "No." she said warningly. "Too smart." She turned around to walk away, and was surprised by his hands fastening around her throat. *Stupid, stupid, STUPID!!!* her mind roared at her.

"You little bitch..." he hissed. Lily dug her nail into the soft part of his wrist, loosening his grip, before grabbing him from behind her and throwing him to the floor. Drawing her wand, she pointed it at his throat.

"One more word, Malfoy, and you'll be hexed so hard not even the school nurse will be able to cure you," she snarled. "I don't waste time on filth like you." He said nothing, merely stared back at her with hate in his eyes. His partner helped him up, glaring at Lily as well. Without another word, she moved on. No one else saw this encounter. No one else, that is, except for one James Potter.

* * *

"Okay people!" Lily yelled. The room quieted. "That's enough for tonight. You'll probably be sore tomorrow, so go soak those muscles!" she said, and hopped off the dais. At once, the room burst into a flurry of chatter.

"Did you see the dent in my cushion?"

"Evans said my kick was great!"

"I knocked you back, didn't I, Matt?

"Agh, shut up!"

"That was an awesome class!"

"Yeah!"

"See you Evans!"

"Bye Lily! See ya tomorrow!"

The students slowly trickled out of the room, leaving Lily alone, or so she thought.

"Why did Malfoy attack you?" James asked softly, startling her. She whirled, wand in hand, and relaxed when she saw who it was.

"Geez, Potter! What is it with you and sneaking up on me?" she asked.

He crossed his arms over his chest. "I'm waiting..."

"I can take care of myself, you know," she snapped, Banishing the cushions to the far end of the room.

"I know all too well, Lily. I'm still waiting, though," he said, tapping his foot.

"Look, Potter, why do you care?" she asked. Her question seemed to have caught him off guard.

"I don't really know...I guess I care because..." he looked down at the floor. "Because I care what happens to you!" he said, all in a rush, his cheeks coloring slightly. Lily stepped back a step. "In a strictly professional sense, of course." he amended quickly.

"Oh. Well, I just told him he punched wrong, that's all. He had a bit of a hissy fit." she said, shrugging it off.

"Some hissy fit." James muttered.

"I don't care. In fact, I enjoy taking the pompous git down a notch or two." Lily shrugged.

"Whatever you say. And about this morning..."

"I get the bathtub first!" Lily announced, racing out of the room. James looked after her with a sigh.

"Why does this always happen to me?" She heard him ask no one in particular, and laughed as she ran off towards their dorms…

Later, both had bathed and were sitting around the common room fire, working on homework.

"Lily, you can't avoid me forever. What you said this morning..." he said suddenly, laying down his quill.

Lily looked up from her Potions essay. "What did I say?"

"You said girls who had almost been...uh, raped had similar experiences. Meaning you have almost been raped."

"Oh. That." Lily said weakly. *Great, how am I going to get out of this one,* she thought worriedly.

"Well? It's been bugging me all day!" he exclaimed.

"Again, Potter, why do you care?" she asked wearily, rubbing her temples.

"Again, Lily, I care because it affects you and your work!" She took a quick glance at him and was startled by the intensity in his eyes. _Come on, tell him!_ the voice in her mind suddenly piped up. *Why do I hear voices when I'm most confused?* she wondered idly, but was quickly brought back to the question at hand.

"Potter...I...er..." she stammered. Finally, she decided on a suitable answer, and regained her composure. "Quite honestly, I'm surprised you don't remember. Let's just say it involves a certain Slytherin, some Gryffindor girls and some Gryffindor boys, okay?" James looked like he wasn't satisfied. "Don't ask me for details, Potter. I've got way too much going on already."

"But-" Lily got up from her desk, carrying her parchments.

"Goodnight, Potter." As she headed up the stairs, she heard him sigh.

"'Night, Lily."

As she reached her room, she threw her books down and sat on her bed with a groan. _You should have told him, you know._ the voice said reproachfully. *But you're a voice! In my head! How do you know anything?* she thought furiously. As usual, it didn't reply.

"I have officially gone insane." she announced to no one in particular.

"That's the spirit, dear!" exclaimed one of the portraits cheerfully.

* * * 

When both were asleep, each dreamed the very same dream, though they never knew.

_Two translucent figures, each indistinguishable, floated in an endless sea of black. They seemed to be talking about...something, something very familiar, and important._

"-humans are so stubborn!" exclaimed one.

"Patience. We cannot prod too much, mine thinks he's going insane. I hope he's joking," soothed the other.

"Mine as well. At least the Beautiful one has helped her; she actually has begun to trust again."

"He saw the Frost attack her today."

"Will that help?" the first one said hopefully.

"Perhaps, he certainly felt enough rage and anger to ignite a bonfire."

"She was so close to telling him too!"

"Again, patience. All will come in due time. Though I hope he remembers sooner than later!" The second voice sounded slightly exasperated.

A third figure entered the scene, this one darker and blacker than the others.

"It goes well?" it asked. All sense of friendliness had disappeared.

"The prophecy will be maintained," said the second one stiffly.

"I ensure the same on my end," the dark one said.

"Very well. The appointed time and place, still?" inquired the first.

"Yes. I-why are they here?" the dark one asked angrily, gesturing towards the dreamer.

"Oh, oops," said the first mischievously.

"Our mistake," said the second, making a shooing motion in the dreamer's direction.

"I must even it out on my end!" said the dark one pompously. "I must-"

All is blackness. Not even the tiniest bit of light shows through. The dreamer is floating, floating in an endless sea of raven hue. 

Well, how's that for an ending! Hope you guys enjoyed; please tell me what you think by leaving a review. They inspire me to write SO MUCH! Uh, yeah. Anyways, your gift for this chappie is...*dum dum dum...* A punching block! Reduce your frustrations on a hapless piece of foam and plastic! Comes pre-dented from previous use. *lol* Okay, time for reviewer thanks:

SummerRainForever: Well, being outside the door wouldn't really work...but don't worry, he'll hear the whole thing soon (even if Lilsy is being a bit reluctant at this point).

moonlitangel: Uh, yeah. Sorry 'bout that. Again, writer's block! That's my story and I'm stickin' to it! At least this chappie came out sooner, tho.

Star19: Thanks for the compliments! I'm glad you like. This update did come out sooner than my last one...

WolfMoon: *sighs with relief* Thank goodness...it woulda been REALLY hard to write from a hospital bed. Though 'something' isn't very reassuring either! Glad you love!

Anarane Anwamane: Thanks a lot!

izzybell4life: This chappie definitely had a lot of L/J goodness! Wow; 'Amazing and incredible'? *swoons* I have a HUGE grin on my face right now!

i o u a name: Thanks! I'm goin', I'm goin'...tell me how you like this chappie!

vamperfly: Hiyas! Thanks SOSOSOSO much for helping, and your ideas for the chappie title really helped...gave me some good ideas. Anyhoo, you already know that you're AMAZING (hopefully) so there isn't much more that I can say! *lolz*

KasOfDaSea: I'm happy that you like! Yeah, I thought that Lily had suffered enough iciness, but she had a bit of a relapse in this chappie *grin*. Oh well: makes the plot interesting! I'll keep going till the end, don't worry.

joyce: Thanks! Uh, this isn't really soon, but faster than the last chappie! Hope you like this one just as much!

Meg: Awww, thanks! I'm glad you like reading it, and I'll try to keep it up!

liz valentine: *gasp* Need...air...Yeah, good ol' Aria, even when Lils totally bitches at her, she just keeps trustin'. Hand over the five bucks! *grin* no, not really. that would have been kinda predictable, Jamesie listening. Don't worry, he'll find out soon...*cackles*

NiNaPoP: Thanks a bunch! Hopefully you haven't waited for too long!

Rei: After reading your review (and some others), I realized that it was pretty rushed. That's why, in this chappie, I tried to have Lily berate herself for spilling it all so easily. In my mind, she was trying to comfort Aria and, not having very much experience in that kind of thing, did almost anything to keep Aria's mind off her whole encounter, without really thinking about it. I know it doesn't really repair the damage, but I hope you'll keep reading anyways.

Miss. Lady: Thanks for the suggestion! He will find out soon, just in a different way. Glad you like!

Cremia: Thanks a lot! I really tried to make the storyline unique, cause I have read a TON of fics that are all practically the same. I tried to hurry, but my muses didn't come through till just recently.

shortnsassy: I know, ain't it all sweet? I like when Lily's showing James the punches this chappie, and she suddenly realizes she's in his arms! Awww...

reader: AAAAAAAGH! *runs away and cowers in a corner* No! Don't hurt me! Just read this chappie and tell me what you think!

Silver Mist4: Yeah, I know! Originally, Aria was going to be Arabella, but after OotP...well, they're still related anyways! Yeah, I like her name too! Well, Jamesie's trying to find out what happened, but Lily's kinda pissed he doesn't remember. It'll be soon, though...and completely different that what you'd expect!

GypsyBeLLs: I'm glad that this fic makes you feel emotional! Ooh, thankee, FOUR LINES OF REVIEW!! WOOHOO!!! Enjoy this chappie!

ice princess12: Yup, new friend for Lils. She won't be friends with the Marauders for a while I'm afraid...they're STILL holding grudges to what she did to them, completely missing the point that they started it all! Oh well. Guys and their poor, bruised egos.

Dragon Pearl1: Yay! Hope you enjoy! Ugh, how evil of the person who took Dragon Pearl! There there, no need to pout, just read this chappie and be happy! (Oh man, that has got to be some of the worst poetry in the WORLD!!!)

LilyChica78: Thanks a lot! Yup, finally getting to the good stuff!

Goten-Lupin: Thanks for the compliments! I won't rest until the fic is done! *strikes noble pose*

LillyNyx: Yay! Glad you still like! Yeah, she can't be icy for much longer. The other students are starting to notice it too.

kat6528: I agree with EVERYTHING you said! Here it is, the new chappie!

SHIZBIK (IMP): Uh, I was a little confused by your review. Review what, exactly?

Gold Phoenix: Next story? What next story? Again, confused...sorry! Hope you like!

bookworym: Oh, no fear of that! Enjoy!

PoTtErSPaYnE: Have I ever mentioned that I love your name? Thanks for the compliments! *blushes*

Lady Laffs-a-Lot: Aww, thanks! I'm glad you think it's original. Hope you love this chappie too!

brunet-barbie-84: Thanks a ton! Yup, Lily friendship goodness. Here ya go, more to read!

sodapopgirl703: Wheee! *rolls on her own funky rolling computer chair* Race ya! *lol* I'm going, I'm going...pause the music, babe, 'cuz this new chappie ROX! (I hope...)

SiNg SoNg24: Wow, the best fanfic you ever read? *cries tears of joy* Thanks so much! Enjoy this update!

Sana Wolf: Thanks, glad you like! Yuppers, friends for Lilsy. I'm still writing, don't worry! Enjoy!

Andufeniel: Cool, a jig! Glad you liked the last chappie so much; hope this one is just as good!

bloodbunny: Aww, thank you! See, I wrote more! Yeah, I know...they're starting to feel it, and their resident voices seem to think so too! (Oops, I think i just gave something away...*lol*)

Agloechen: Yeah, I'm sorry. *sniffles* This chappie is a mite sooner, sorry about the wait!

angel-dolphin1: Thanks a bunch! Yeah, but Malfoy and Snape are supposed to be greasy gits, so not much I can do about that!

Anonnymous: Thanks sosososo much! I'm glad you love it so much, it makes all my efforts seem worthwhile! Laughing is good; do it more often! I hope this chappie helps you laugh too...please enjoy!

x-Danii-x:Sorry about that last wait. Jet lag gets kinda annoying. Yes, Malfoy hit the floor. Again. *snickers* Yeah, he is an asshole. Well, people are starting to give a damn now...though she really doesn't want them too. Yup, stupid prats. Most guys I know are.

Phedre no Delauney de Montreve: Oooh, funky name! I like! I know, I missed you! Glad you like the new writing; hope this chappie is just as awesome and rates a...um...110%? *looks hopeful*

Jessica Messenger of the Devil: Don't worry, I'll do just that!

harper92: Ooh, glad you like the bubbles! Enjoy your new punching block! Oh yeah, ROMANTICNESS!!! *grins sappily if such a thing is even possible* :-D Yeah, it was kinda fast, but in my mind, Lily was trying to comfort Aria and she didn't have very much experience in the whole matter so she was ready to do a lot to keep her calm and her mind off the whole incident. I'm glad you like it! Well, I probably won't have as much time to address everyone once school starts, but I know I love getting recognized by authors, so I try and take the time to thank everyone who made the effort to review. Maybe I'm just weird; who knows? Thanks, though! ;-D

FEAngel258: Aww, thanks! Yeah, I thought it was the right time for Lily to meet a friend. WHAT?!?!? YOU DON'T FEEL SPECIAL?!?!?*bounces over and starts chanting*FEEL SPECIAL FEEL SPECIAL FEEL SPECIAL FEEL SPECIAL!!!*coughs* Do you feel special yet? Hope you like this chappie!

MarryMeJames: Yeah, I got that from a couple of other reviewers too. But like I explained, Lily was trying to comfort Aria in any way she could. She didn't really have very much experience in this kind of thing. But that's true what you said. Yeah, they're sorta friends now. Much better than before! ;-) Yeah, I never thought about Aria in that way...hmmm...

kimi: I'm glad you liked! Hope this chappie is just as good!

PsYcHo-Me: Thanks a bunch! Aww, I'm glad you liked it; hope you liked this chappie too! When's the next chappie of Levart Emit coming out? Yes, I missed you...*sniff* :-D

funbun007: Ooh, hooked? Hehehe...*lol* Aww, thanks for the compliments! *blushes* Hope you like this chappie!

high?d: I'm glad you love it! Enjoy the new chappie!

Charmed Faeire: Thanks! Yeah, I figured it was time for her to finally spill. Hope this chappie was interesting; things really start to heat up soon!

*******: Hmm...interesting idea. I hadn't really figured that into the fic, because really they're not mean, just holding a grudge from a while ago. Hope you like this chappie!

Jamsie-lover: I'm sure you don't suck at writing! Try it! Thanks for the encouragement!

and last but not least (last of 4 pages of reviews...:-S ;-) amber: Wow, I'm glad you like this fic so much! Enjoy this chappie; things will start to get interesting soon...

Well, don't forget to tell me what you think! I love getting reviews-they make my day!

Next chappie: Prefect's meeting and some other...er, 'interesting' moments!

Much luv,

eventergurl88 


	12. Ch 11: Too Much Potter

Hi guys! Aren't you happy the chappie is done? (Wow, I'm a poet…) Thanks MUCHLY for all your support, every single one of you. *dramatic sob* You _inspire_ me! No, seriously. So read and enjoy, and I'll try to get the next chappie out to you as soon as possible! A SQUILLION thanks to **vamperfly** for betaing this chappie! Another lil' note: I keep visualizing drawings from this fic and I have no idea why. I'd draw them myself, but then all the characters would be reduced to stick people. So if any artsy peoples are reading this, do you want to give it a try? Pretty please? *does puppy dog eyes*. Kay, that was weird. I'll stop rambling now and let you read.

Chapter 11: Too Much Potter

The man sat, ramrod straight, in his throne-like chair. His red eyes flicked around the room, taking in everything, missing nothing. As he watched silently, a man walked cautiously out of the shadows.

"This was left at the door, my lord. No name, no sign...nothing. Shall we destroy it?" the second man said, bowing.

"Give it to me," the first man hissed imperiously, sounding vaguely reptilian. Stretching out a pale hand, he snatched the small package. He pored over the plain brown wrapping paper and turned the package over. Nothing. Just the brown, slightly grubby exterior, kept shut by simply knotted twine. Grasping the string, he prepared to open it.

"My lord! You must not! We know not what enchantments lie upon it!" the other man cried out. The first man's sanguine gaze narrowed.

"Who are you to defy me?" he snarled. Realizing his mistake, the second man fell, groveling, to the floor.

"M-my lord...f-forgive me...I w-was rash..." the man stuttered. Smirking, the lord drew his wand without a sound. The other man looked up, an expression of terror crossing his face.

"You forget, Grimsley...the Dark Lord does not forgive..." Voldemort whispered as he drank in the abject fear emanating from the prostrate form. "Avada Kedavra!" A whoosh of green light shot from his wand, and the man known as Grimsley collapsed silently. Voldemort's attention, however, was already riveted on the package.

Holding his wand at the ready, Voldemort tore the package open with a single rip. He relaxed as he saw a small black book, with a note lying on top. Tossing the message aside, he picked up the book cautiously.

"By Satan..." he hissed in a tone of great reverence as he opened to the first page. "The diary of Djukta!" He threw his head back and laughed, a sinister, evil laugh of triumph. "Long have I searched for you," he said, running his fingers almost lovingly along the pages. "With your help...I will be unstoppable."

"Jyeth!" he called to his guard outside the door. "Be sure I am not disturbed, or your head will roll." Then, sitting back down, he opened the book eagerly and began to read.

The note lay forgotten, tossed on its side. In spindly, stilted writing, it read simply: _The balance has been restored._

* * * 

James came awake as suddenly as if someone had yelled in his ear. *What the hell was that dream about?* he thought, getting up and slinging on some old robes. *Weird...they were almost like ghosts. And one sounded familiar...like I had heard it before.* Shrugging it off as the byproducts of an overactive mind, he grabbed his treasured broomstick, a Silver Arrow XL, opened his window wide and flew out. 

As he soared down to the Quidditch Pitch, the wind ruffled his hair and sent a blast of cold air through every opening in his robes. Finally awake, he flew over the stands and into the Pitch, doing a few loops and quick turns to limber up. James grinned widely, overcome by the pure joy in flying. Zig-zagging over the Pitch in a move called the Woollongong Shimmy, he crouched down against his broomstick as he soared straight through a goal hoop. Smiling a little at his own antics, he soared down to the ground and headed to the locker room.

Picking up a Quaffle he had left out previously, he walked back out to the Pitch and easily hopped on his broom. Flying towards the goal hoop, he paused. *Gotta work on batting the Quaffle with the end of my broom,* he thought, peering closely at the distance between himself and the hoop. *Woulda scored in that game against Ravenclaw if I'd been more accurate.* Granted, Gryffindor had won the game anyways, but James took every miss to heart, and worked relentlessly to improve himself and his team. 

Tossing the Quaffle up gently, James spun on his broom and whacked the Quaffle towards the hoop. It bounced off the edge. "Crap!" he said angrily, and sped over to catch the slowly falling Quaffle. Zooming back to his previous position, he studied what had gone wrong. *Shit. I hit it on the wrong spot with my broom. I have to hit it closer up the shaft.* Sighing in frustration, he repeated the same move. This time the Quaffle soared straight through the middle of the hoop. A lopsided grin broke out on James' face, and he zoomed towards the falling ball with an expression of glee. 

"Okay, now to try it when moving." he muttered, and flew to the far end of the Pitch. Repeating the zig-zagging move, he tossed the ball up and batted it. He aimed for the far left hoop, but it flew off to the side, fortunately through the far right hoop. "Grrr..." he muttered, and easily caught the falling Quaffle. He was about to try it again when he noticed a redhead running laps around the Pitch. Smirking in anticipation, he flew silently towards her until he was flying directly alongside her.

"Fancy seeing you here." he drawled. 

Lily didn't even look up. "Well, you're dedicated," she replied, slightly out of breath. "What did I tell you about sneaking up on me?" 

James threw a hand up in careless abandon. "Pish posh. It's fun, plus I get to see what I'm going to learn in Dueling classes." Lily looked at him, and he was startled to see dark circles under her eyes.

"What does that have to do with anything?" she asked.

"I get to see if I can get out of the way when you lunge at me." James said.

"Oh?" Lily said. 

James recognized the dangerous tone of her voice, but chose to ignore it. "Yup. Good for my Quidditch reflexes. In fa-" 

Lily reached out and pushed the handle of the broom down to the ground. James hit the dirt with an inglorious splat, and Lily kept running.

"You'd better work on those reflexes then!" she called back, and James couldn't help but smile. In retaliation, he lobbed the Quaffle at her. Showing no effort, Lily sidestepped and caught the ball without even looking. James' jaw dropped. Hopping on his broom, he sped up until he was next to her once more.

"How did you do that?" he asked, shocked. "You'd make a great Chaser."

"Other than the fact that I've never been on a broomstick before," she said wryly. 

"What? We all did flying lessons!" James exclaimed. Lily stopped suddenly, and he flew past her. Wheeling, he halted, hovering, in front of her. 

"Correction: you did, Potter; flying lessons are in first year, remember? I came in third year," she said, amused. 

*Wow. She _is_ in a good mood this morning!* he thought. He decided to take advantage of that. "Well, we'll fix that. Hop on!" he said, gesturing to the broomstick as he landed. 

"Don't get any crazy ideas, Potter; there is no way in hell I am playing Quidditch." she warned. 

James shrugged. "You're going to need to fly eventually. Besides, if you fly..." he searched around for anything that might tempt her. "You can beat me up!" _Just brilliant, wonder boy,_ the voice muttered. James ignored it.

To his surprise, Lily actually smiled again. *Must be a record.* he thought, bemused.

"Potter, you really are an idiot. The prospect of me beating you up is not going to tempt me onto a little bit of wood and straw, I can do that any time I want."

Her last sentence gave James a clue of what to say next. "You're afraid of flying, aren't you?" he said slyly.

"I am not!" she proclaimed, though rather weakly. "Besides, I have to go do my pattern dances so," she turned to go, "nice chatting with you, Potter." She started to walk off, and would have done so if James had not intervened.

Desperate to get her onto a broomstick (though again, he wasn't quite sure why), he jumped on, flew alongside her and, praying fervently that she wouldn't attack him, lifted her onto the broom in front of him. *I have no idea why I just did that,* he thought dazedly as Lily went ballistic.

"JAMES POTTER! IF YOU DON'T PUT ME DOWN THIS INSTANT I'LL-" 

James cut her off, barely avoiding her punches. "If you try and fight me right now, Lily, we'll crash." he pointed out, the broom swinging wildly. To avoid further confrontations, James jerked the broomstick up sharply. Lily didn't say a word. "Lily? Are you okay?" he asked carefully.

"Just fine, Potter." she confirmed shakily. He noticed her hands gripping the handle so hard they were turning white. "At least, I would have been if you had LEFT ME ON THE FUCKING GROUND!" she screamed in his ear. 

James winced. "Relax, Lily," he said soothingly, guiding the broom in a diamond pattern. "I won't let you fall."

"Very reassuring." she scoffed, still gripping the handle in a death grip. 

"So, the iron-willed Lily Evans has a weakness, hmm?" he said, trying to establish friendly banter.

"Shut up, Potter. When we get down to the ground, I'll kick your ass so hard you won't be able to tell your face from your foot," she growled. 

James couldn't help it; he chuckled. 

"What?" she asked irritably.

"Lily dearest, might I remind you who is in control? We go down to the ground when I want to." he said cheerfully, and he could see her scowl.

"I hate not being in control," she muttered. 

"Have you ever seen Hogwarts from up here?" he said conversationally. 

She turned to look and immediately shut her eyes tight. "I don't like this, I don't like this, I REALLY don't like this," she said nervously.

"Oh, Lily, just look," he said, beginning to get frustrated. 

Slowly Lily opened one eye, and then the other. "Wow," she breathed, and James sighed an inner sigh of relief. "I never knew it looked like this." 

James soared over the castle to the Forbidden Forest. The sun was just rising over the horizon, turning everything brilliant shades of red, yellow and orange. Lily's fiery hair shone, he noted idly, and the sunlight gave her a golden halo, making her look like a goddess.

He soared closer to the treetops, startling a flock of birds who fled, cheeping, into the air. "Potter!" chided Lily absently, still staring at the Forest, which seemed to stretch on forever.

"Well?" he asked after a few moments. 

Lily turned back towards him.

"I still haven't forgiven you for snatching me," she said ominously, and turned towards the scenery once more. James gulped nervously. "But I have to thank you for showing me all this," she finished softly, and he smiled. 

James turned the broomstick around, and they soared over the Lake. He brought the broom down until their toes skimmed the surface of the water.

"Is this what makes everyone want to fly?" Lily asked after they had pulled up and were flying towards the mountains.

"This…and more. When it's night and you're soaring towards the stars. When the adrenaline's flowing and you're flying towards the goal hoops and you _know_ you'll score. When you can get away from everything by just hopping on a broom and going anywhere your heart desires. When you're...free…" he finished, trailing off. Lily turned around to look at him. She stared in silence for a few moments, and James began to wonder if he said the wrong thing.

"I had no idea you were so eloquent, Potter," she said finally, and James flushed.

"Yeah, well, there's a lot of things you don't know about me," he finally said, and guided the broom over towards the Quidditch Pitch. "You can steer if you want," he offered cautiously, but Lily shook her head.

"It's more fun just sitting here. Maybe later," she said, finally relaxing for the first time. James guided the broom back down to ground and touched down gently.

Lily hopped off, whirled to face him but James was quicker. He soared once more into the air and hovered there. "So, Lily...I'll see you at breakfast?" he said cheerfully.

The frustration was evident for a moment on Lily's face, but it quickly vanished. "Very well, Potter. And let me tell you right now, no, I will not be a Chaser." Turning, she walked off, making no sound. 

"Don't forget the Prefect's meeting tonight!" James yelled at her. 

She turned around once again. "With reminders like those, how can I?" she replied, and ran off, presumably to do her pattern dances. 

* * * 

After her workout, Lily walked back to her dorm. Passing the unicorn statue without any difficulty, she trotted into the bathroom and closed the door with a sigh. Unbidden, the glorious vision of the Forest popped into her head, and she allowed herself a dreamy smile. *Wow,* she thought as the bathtub filled. *There's definitely more to Potter than I thought.* Slipping into the hot water with a slight gasp, she lay back and relaxed as her muscles unknotted.

*And his description of flying...he should be a poet! Who would have thought that popular, pretty-boy Potter could be so...so...* she trailed off.

_Deep? _A voice answered her from nowhere. For some reason, it didn't surprise her. _He's really not that bad, you know._ the voice hinted. Lily chuckled. *Great. The voice in my head is trying to set me up with a pompous asshole who infuriates me.* she thought wryly as she sank deeper into the water, almost purring. 

_I was only suggesting..._the voice said, almost sounding hurt. 

*Hang on...* Lily thought, sitting up suddenly. *I'm talking to a voice! In my head! AGAIN!* It seemed as though from faraway there was a sigh of frustration, but the strange voice bothered her no more. 

Lily scrubbed quickly, hopped out of the tub and dried her hair. Walking out of the bathroom in a towel, she headed up to her room to get dressed for the day. As she threw on her clothes, she re-read her History of Magic essay. Grabbing a quill, she added a few more lines before bundling it up again.

Putting her books together in her bag, she took a quick glance at the mirror ("Oh, you look _lovely_, dear!") and headed down the steps. As she passed through the archway, she saw Aria standing there.

"Hey Aria!" she said happily at the sight of her friend.

"Hey Lils. How are you?" the other girl asked, blue eyes sparkling. The two began the trek to breakfast.

"Pretty good, I guess. You?" As Aria launched into a tirade about her roommates' messiness, Lily smiled. Just hearing her friend ramble on made her feel comforted.

"...and then she was like 'No way! This is my side!' and I said-"

"Aria, you're the best." Lily interrupted, giving her friend a hug. Aria smiled and hugged back.

"Any time, hon. So, what's on the schedule for today?" 

"Potions, double History, Transfig, Charms, double Arithmancy and..." Lily screwed up her eyes trying to remember. 

"Care of Magical Creatures?" Aria offered.

"Yeah! How'd you know?" Lily asked, her eyes opening.

"'Cause I have it with you!" Aria said, chuckling. Lily smiled too, and linking arms, they strode into the Great Hall.

"So, which table are we eating at today?" Lily asked as they paused.

"Dunno...let's try Gryffindor, then Ravenclaw for lunch, then Gryff-" Aria said, but Lily cut in.

"Okay, Aria, I get the picture! Let's go," she said, and the two girls sat down. As they grabbed toast and pumpkin juice, a slightly hyper James Potter walked over to them.

"He-_lo_, ladies." he said in a deep voice, trying to sound seductive. Aria rolled her eyes at Lily, who chuckled.

"Hello again, Potter." Lily said. Turning back to a breakfast as a sign of dismissal, she was surprised to hear him begin to talk.

"So,Lily,where'sthemeetingbeingheld?Idon'tknowbecauseI wasn'tlisteningtoDumbledoreatthebeginningofthespeechandIknowIprobablyshouldhavereadthelittle pamphletthingybutIdidn'tfeellikeitbecauseIhadtodohomeworkbutIdidn'tfinishitanywaysandnow..." he babbled, practically bouncing up and down.

"What have you been eating, Potter?" Aria interrupted, incredulous. Lily just stared at him. 

"OhnothingjustsomemaplesyrupandtenpancakesandfrostedcerealandfrenchtoastandIatehalfthesugarinthesugarbowland..." 

Remus walked up behind the extremely hyper James and clapped a hand over his mouth. "Sorry, girls. Sirius fed him one of the Hyperactivity Sweets and he's been like this all morning." Remus smiled at the two. Lily smiled back at him, and Aria stared like a stunned ox. "See you in Potions, Lily." Remus said, and he dragged off James.

"Wha....wha....whoa..."Aria mumbled. 

Lily turned to her incoherent friend. "See something you like?" Lily said sweetly. 

Aria shut her mouth with a snap. "Who? Me? Remus? No! Noooo. Not me...him...whatever! Nope, not me, nothing, nada..." Aria stammered. 

Lily stood there with a knowing smile on her face. "Quit while you're ahead, Aria," Lily advised while patting her best friend on the back. "You're just digging yourself in deeper."

Aria turned an interesting shade of magenta.

* * * 

"Lily? Hey, Lily! LILY!" a male voice called. 

Lily's face contorted in a silent snarl. She had _not_ had a good day. First, she had been distracted in Potions and mixed the wrong ingredients. Then, in History of Magic, she actually _fell asleep_, something she never did. Her Transfiguration was well below it's usual standard, and in Arithmancy she had completely lost her head. The only class she had done marginally well in was Charms. To top it all off, she had a mound of homework and she still had another class.

"What?" she snapped, whirling around. There was Potter, his hands raised in a mockery of self-defense.

"Whoa, Lily. Calm down." he said. Lily regained her composure.

"I could have said the same thing to you earlier," she said as he began to walk beside her.

"Sorry," James said without the slightest hint of embarrassment. "Sirius thinks it's fun to put random Zonko's pranks in my breakfast. You gotta admit, though," he said, his face breaking into his famous grin, "it was kinda funny."

"You confuse me, Potter." Lily said as they started off across the grounds. "One minute you're so different than the way you seem, and the next you're back to being the immature prankster."

"You know you love me, though," he joked. 

Lily stared. 

"Uh, yeah," he continued quickly after his attempt at humor fell flat, "so where is the Prefect's meeting?"

"In our common room," Lily said shortly as they reached the edge of the Forest. 

"Oh," James said weakly as they joined the rest of their class. 

Lily slipped next to Aria, who gave her a welcoming smile.

"In today's class, we shall be studying unicorns." Professor Kettleburn announced. He gestured toward the edge of the forest. There, pawing at the edge of the trees, stood a brilliantly white creature. Lily felt her face soften into a smile.

"They prefer women and girls to men and boys, so… miss Evans," Lily jerked her head up. "Will you be so kind as to approach the unicorn for us? I'm sure you know how."

"Of course, professor." Lily said confidently. She set off towards the animal, and stopped when she was merely a few feet away. "Hello." she whispered, and the magnificent creature cocked an ear towards her. "I'm Lily; my class would like to take a look at you. Would you mind coming with me?" 

Imperiously regarding her with it's blue eyes, Lily felt as though her soul was being bared to the unicorn. Slowly, it nodded, and Lily undid the collar. 

"Follow me, please," she said, and began to walk towards her class once more. Hearing the soft footfalls behind her, she kept going. Once she reached her class, she patted the unicorn on the neck. "Thank you," she whispered, and slipped back into the crowd.

"Well done, miss Evans! Ten points to Gryffindor." Professor Kettleburn beamed at his favorite student. "Now, unicorns are mythological creatures with many magical properties. Uncannily smart, they..." The professor's lecture drifted into the background noise as Lily stared. The unicorn stared fixedly back at her. She felt an odd sense of responsibility. Almost as if the unicorn would blame her for anything that went wrong.

"Psst...Lils!" Aria whispered. 

Lily broke her gaze with an effort. "Yeah?"

"How'd you do that? It was following behind you like a puppy!" Aria seemed shocked, for she had never had much skill with animals.

"I asked politely. They're very smart." Lily whispered back.

"You don't ask an animal to follow you! You tell it to!" Sirius hissed from in front of them. 

Aria seemed taken aback, but Lily was just angry. "Don't eavesdrop into conversations you don't understand, Black!" she snapped back. Sirius recoiled as if physically struck.

"Oh, Siri-poo, ignore the bitch," Allicia cooed as she wrapped herself around him. "She doesn't understand manly dominance." She glared at Lily.

Lily caught the insinuation and saw red. It was only Aria's touch on her arm that kept her from jumping the other girl right then and there.

"Ignore her." Aria whispered, returning Allicia's glare with one just as frigid, "She's just trying to get to you."

"Well, she's doing a damn good job of it, then." Lily whispered back heatedly.

"Miss Figg? Anything to share with the class?" Professor Kettleburn asked.

"No sir," she answered quickly. 

Sighing, Lily turned her attention back on the lecture.

* * * 

"So, ready for the meeting?" James asked after they had finished arranging the chairs.

"Not particularly, no," Lily said as she sat down with a thump on one of the couches. "At least we managed to agree on most things."

"I still think it should be the Pumpkin Parade!" James said, sitting down in his own chair. 

Lily groaned. "Potter-" she started, but was interrupted as the Prefects filed into the room.

"Take a seat, guys," James said. To Lily's shock, they did just that. "Okay, we have a few things to discuss tonight, but we'll try to get you out of here as quick as possible." Some of the Prefects smiled. James glanced at Lily, and she took that as her cue.

"First thing is the Christmas ball," she announced. A few of the girls started to giggle. "Potter and I have decided that it will be called the Snowflake Soirée, unless anyone has any other ideas." When no one put their hands up, she went on. "Obviously, it will be a snowflake theme. We're going to start delegating jobs now, because the balls are a lot of work. Okay..." she took a quick glance down at the list. "Who wants to do decorations?" Several of the girls put their hands up, and Lily wrote their names down.

"Okay, food...any takers?" James said. Remus, another Gryffindor Prefect named Damien and a Hufflepuff named Randy put up their hands.

"We need a few people in charge of entertainment..." Lily trailed off. A few of the Slytherins put up their hands.

"Fine." James said, writing that down as well. "People who organize the rules..." No one moved. 

"Put me down for that, Potter," Lily said with a sigh. "Advertisements for the ball?" Aria and the Hufflepuff Marcy both put up their hands.

"Right. We'll need some people for setup, arrangement of tables, stuff like that." James said, and the rest of the Prefects volunteered.

"Well, that takes care of that." Lily said, adding James' name to the list. He saw, and was about to say something when she kicked him under the table.

"Now, moving on...any ideas for other events during the school year?" James said, wincing slightly from the effects of Lily's kick. Immediately, people started shouting out their ideas.

"Whoa, guys!" James called. No effect. He looked at Lily helplessly.

"HOLD IT!" she roared, and everyone paused. "Hands, guys, otherwise we can't hear you." Immediately, half the room shot up their hands.

"Okay, from left to right guys." James said. 

Sabrina, the Gryffindor fifth-year prefect, was first. "I think we should have a fashion show. Have tickets, put the money for charity, you know?" she said. 

Lily looked disgusted, but James nodded and wrote it down.

"A talent contest! Same thing with the tickets, I guess..." said Thom, a Ravenclaw boy.

"Rent one of us for a day...it can be bidding and we be the slave of whoever wins us for a day. We can keep the profits." Georgina, a Slytherin, suggested lazily.

"More balls! We, like, hardly had any last year!" exclaimed one of the Hufflepuff girls as she filed her nails.

"Okay guys, that's enough for now," Lily said, interrupting the ideas. "That's about it, I guess." she said, shrugging. "If you need to ask us something, talk to the statue of the unicorn outside the dorm. Anything else?"

Everyone shook their heads, and filed out. Lily gave Aria a quick hug, but she had some homework to get to as well. Soon, Lily and James were left alone again.

"Why'd you write my name down?" James asked the minute everyone had gone.

"You're Head Boy," Lily said simply as she pored over her textbook. "You can't just sit back and do nothing. Besides, I'm sure you'll enjoy it. If I do something like the rules, I don't even have to show up to the ball; it's all in what you pick." 

James stared at Lily. "You don't want to go to the ball?" he asked, puzzled.

"Why should I? I don't want to go," she said. Hearing no reply, she turned to see James smirking at her. "What?" she asked cautiously.

"I'm afraid, Lily dear, that you must go. You and I must open the Soirée and dance the first dance together. Your presence is required," he said smugly. 

"Me? Dance...dance with you?" Lily asked. James nodded. In a moment, Lily burst into hysterical laughter. James looked injured.

"What? It's not funny!" he exclaimed. Lily stopped laughing immediately.

"I thought...you're joking, right?" she said carefully. James shook his head.

"Oh my fucking god." Lily said, her eyes wide, and buried her head in her hands. "This is SO not good."

Well, finally done! Hope you guys liked, please R&R! This chappie's reviewer present is…*dumdumdum* a bag of Zonko's Hyperactivity Sweets! Amuse your friends! Embarrass your enemies! Laugh your arse off at the secrets revealed! Comes in mini size for those with limited space (*cough*harper92*cough*). 

Next chappie: Full moon. Ooooh. 'Nough said. ;-)

Well, I was about to do all the reviewer thingies, but then I realized that it would take me a few days, (the last one took me almost a week to do, seriously or Siriusly, however you want it). So, I decided I'll write them all up and post them with the next update, kay? Don't be too mad, I just wanted to get the chappie out to y'all sooner! Please review and tell me what you think!


	13. Ch 12: Dance With Me

Hellooo my faithful (or not-so-faithful) readers! It HAS been a long time, hasn't it? *gets pelted with anvils by howling readers* I know, I know, I'm bad, distracted, mean, etc., etc. But I've almost finished half of the next chappie, so hopefully the wait won't be as long. Read and enjoy; and don't forget to **review**! 

-eventergurl88

P.S. This picks up right after the last chappie, so you may want to re-read it before reading this. Context, ya know?

  
  


Chapter 12: Dance With Me

  
  


"Ouch," James said wickedly, pantomiming being stabbed. "That hurt, Lily. Besides, it's not so bad."

"That's what you think," Lily muttered. She lifted her head up to stare at him. "I don't dance, Potter." *Well, the only dance I know would definitely not do.* she thought absently.

"Well, you're in luck," James said firmly, "you happen to be in the presence of an accomplished dance instructor." Lily pretended to scan the room. 

"Me!" he exclaimed. Lily looked at him skeptically. "Seriously, Lily! I know how to dance; my father has made me take dance classes since I was five!"

Lily struggled to hide the chuckle threatening to burst out of her. "You…dance…lessons…" she said brokenly. James sighed.

"Go ahead, laugh like everyone else," he said resignedly, and crossed his arms. That in itself stopped Lily's desire to laugh completely.

"Sorry," she muttered, looking down at their sheaf of notes. James shrugged it off. 

"Well, now that you've laughed at me, you've gotta dance with me," he said impishly, and walked over towards her. Before she had really registered what was happening, he bowed with a flourish and extended his hand. 

"May I have this dance, fair lady?" he asked. Lily stared. 

"You have got to be kidding me," she said, shaking her head.

"Come on, Lily," he whined, sounding like an obnoxious three-year-old, "pleeeeeease?"

Lily sighed and extended her hand. "This goes against my better judgment, you know," she said, and restrained a shiver as their hands met. "And the only reason I am doing this is to not make a fool out of myself at the dance."

"Fine," James said firmly, and pulled her upright. "Now, for a waltz, we face each other and we grasp our hands like so." He extended their right hands. "My free hand goes on your waist," he continued, doing just that, "and your free hand on my shoulder." 

Lily, who had frozen as soon as his hand gently touched her waist, merely stared. James looked at her pointedly.

"Uh…yes…hand…shoulder…right...." she babbled, and gingerly placed her hand on his shoulder.

"And now," he said, freeing his hand momentarily to flick his wand, causing waltz music to pour out of nowhere, "we dance."

"What do I do?" Lily asked, slightly panicky. Being in such close proximity to him made her nervous.

James chuckled. She could feel it reverberate through his body. "Just follow what I do. Hear the three-beat pattern in the music, and match your steps to it." With that, he began to move, and Lily had no further time for thought.

As he steered her slowly around the room, Lily felt bumbling and uncoordinated. "What am I doing wrong?" she asked as she stepped on his feet for the umpteenth time.

"You're not listening to the music. Listen," he chided gently, "one-two-three, one-two-three, one…" As he began to list the beat, Lily felt her feet move in response. Step, together, pause, step, together, pause…Slowly, they began to move once more, this time with Lily following in step.

"Hey, I think I've got it!" she exclaimed happily.

"Good," James said, "which means we get to go on to the next part."

"There's more?" Lily asked, bemused, but was answered as they began to twirl around, guided by James.

"Aagh!" Lily exclaimed as she stumbled momentarily but regained her balance.

"Relax, Lily," James said soothingly. "Flow with the music."

Little by little, she began to relax and enjoy the dance. As they twirled around the room in perfect sync, she began to notice the little things: the melody of the music, the way their feet moved together, how James' hand felt on her waist…

As she realized where her mind was, her movements became wooden. *What am I THINKING?!?!? Have I gone completely round the twist?* She hardly noticed what she was doing as James spun her out, but came to her senses as he spun her back in, and they ended up so close she hardly dared breathe. 

"Er…" she ventured carefully after they had been standing there for a few moments. James shook himself out of his reverie. 

"Sorry," he muttered, two spots of red coloring his cheeks. "Got a little carried away." They resumed their gentle waltz.

"Well, you're a master of many things," she said after a few moments. James smiled wryly.

"The heirs of pureblooded families must have impeccable manners, which includes dancing," he said without emotion, "I just happen to have a knack for it, that's all. Means I get shown off like a puppet at all the events." His mouth shut with a snap as he realized he'd said too much.

They danced in silence for a few moments. It felt so natural by now that Lily let her mind wander. She was brought back suddenly as she realized James had said something.

"Sorry?" she asked, embarrassed.

"I said that there are other dances, too," he said. She couldn't tell if there was a grin on his face.

"Oh?" she said. *I have a bad feeling about this…* she thought. Yup, that was definitely his trademark grin.

"Like….hmmm…tango." Suddenly, the music changed and they were cheek to cheek, stalking down the room in a very different kind of dance.

"Swing." 

The music changed, and they began to move and twist. He picked her up and swung her from side to side, set her down and kept dancing. It was almost as if her mind was frozen and she couldn't think to react. She danced on.

"Rumba." 

Again the music changed, and they moved as one across the room, feet moving in a difficult pattern that she could just barely grasp.

"Foxtrot." 

The music was now a hopping, bluesy tune. Mind numb, she followed his feet as he spun her around, then kept going. 

Lily realized belatedly that they were back to waltzing and she was breathing hard. She looked up at him and saw an exuberant sparkle in his eyes.

"You're pretty good, for a beginner," James said softly, his voice husky. She almost stopped breathing.

"Thanks," she said breathlessly. *Wow, could I have said anything stupider? Wait, who cares? It's Potter!* her mind shrieked. They twirled, and suddenly James bent her backwards in a sort of frozen fall. Her eyes locked onto his face, and she couldn't read his expression. She had no impression of how long they stayed like that, the music holding a final chord.

"Lily, I need help on the Potions thingy, I can't get the…oh my god...." Aria stopped dead as she stared at the scene she had walked into. 

"Aria! It's not what you think!" Lily shrieked, and scrambled upright. 

"Sorry if I interrupted anything. Ignore me, carry on." Aria said, making a flapping motion with her hand and turning to exit, a huge grin breaking onto her face.

"Crap!" Lily swore, and rushed after her friend, leaving James standing, like a stunned ox, in the middle of the floor. 

  


* * *

  


"So, you and Potter, hmm?" Aria asked softly as they walked through the darkened halls of the castle.

"No!" Lily said fiercely. "He was just showing me how to dance, that's all. We have to…er, dance together at the ball." She said this extremely quickly, but Aria heard.

"The ball? That's awesome! We have to get you a robe, jewelry, makeup, shoes, everything! Oh, this is going to be perfect!" Aria said happily. Lily flinched.

"You sounded almost like Ally..." she said softly. Aria's happy face fell away.

"Sorry," Aria said sheepishly, "I just got a little carried away."

"It's okay. Just…try not to talk about me and Potter, okay?"

"Potter and I," Aria corrected, and Lily poked her in the side. "Hey!"

"Who, me?" Lily said innocently, and smiled. The two girls slung their arms companionably around each other. "So," said Lily after a moment, thinking that she may as well do this friend thing right, "who do you have your eye on for the ball?"

"I was thinking of going solo. More fun that way," Aria said nonchalantly, but Lily could tell she was hiding something.

"Aria, I don't believe you one bit." Lily said. Aria looked down.

"IkindawishRemuswouldaskme," she said, all in one breath. Lily laughed softly.

"Slow down!" she chided. Aria blushed slightly, and took a deep breath.

"I wish…er, Remus would ask me," she finally said. Lily gave her a quick hug.

"Remus is a great guy, Aria! Good choice!" she said reassuringly.

"Like he'd ever notice me." Aria muttered darkly.

"Of course he'd notice you! You're funny, outgoing, smart, pretty…" Lily ticked off the list on her fingers.

Aria sighed, "Yeah, sure Lils. Whatever you say." 

"We'll have none of that, or it's time for another self-defense session!" Lily said mock-sternly.

"Oh, the horror!" Aria pretended to faint. Lily helped her up, and they walked silently through the halls once more.

"This is so weird," Lily said, after they'd passed the Great Hall.

"What?" asked Aria.

"Me having a friend, being Head Girl, actually talking to people…" Lily trailed off. 

"Are you glad that all this has happened?" Aria asked carefully.

"Yeah, I think. I mean, you're just awesome, being Head Girl isn't too bad, and having people talk to me is okay, but I sorta miss being invisible sometimes. There are so many more things to deal with when people really see you."

"Welcome to the life of a teenage witch," Aria said cynically.

Lily shook her head, clearing her thoughts. "Wow, when I start to get philosophical, I know it's time for bed. I'd better go before I collapse on the stairs."

"Yeah, me too. 'Night, Lils." Aria gave her a quick hug, and trotted off to the Ravenclaw dorms.

"'Night." Lily called back, and walked off to her own bed. 

As she passed an open window, the moonlight shone down with such force that she paused to look. "Full moon tomorrow." she said softly, and paused for a moment, letting the silver light envelop her features. Lily had no idea what this full moon would change.  


* * *  


The students of Hogwarts rejoiced; it was the weekend. Textbooks were shut with a slam, chewn quills were thrown away, and parchment notes were crumpled up into balls. Many of the female population (and no few of the male) chattered excitedly about the upcoming ball, for the poster in the Great Hall had attracted a lot of attention. This also happened to be a Hogsmeade weekend, so almost the entire student body was excited at the prospect of shopping. The ball was in a couple of weeks, but students were pairing off already and love was in the air. Nevertheless, on this happy weekend, Lily sat in her dorm room, writing a particularily annoying essay on Polyjuice Potions. For the second time in her life, she found herself with her quill poised above the parchment, completely without inspiration. She sat there, unmoving, for ten minutes, until she sighed, lay down her quill and flopped on her bed. 

_You should be doing something, you know. Like talking to James,_ said a voice in her head. Lily sighed.

*Not you again.* she thought grumpily, and turned over.

_Well, at least you're acknowledging my existence,_ said the voice, sounding pleased.

*You know, I should be thinking that I'm insane right now, but quite frankly, I'm too tired. So will you please just tell me who-what-whatever you are?* Lily's logical side rebelled at the idea of talking to a mysterious voice, but she just ignored it. 

_I can't._ the voice said simply.

*Well, why not?* Lily said, trying not to lose her patience.

_I just can't, that's all. It would ruin the Prophecy,_ the voice replied, sounding smug.

*Whoa, whoa, WHOA! Prophecy? What the hell are you talking about?* Lily thought back furiously. 

_Language, young lady! _The voice sounded almost offended.

*Geez, I'm sorry. Now, **please** tell me about this so-called prophecy?* Lily said, her patience slipping by the moment.

_I can't tell you that either. In fact, I shouldn't have told you that at all. Hmmm..._ The voice seemed to be thinking. 

"AAAGH! Stupid voice in my head that doesn't tell me anything!" Lily yelled out loud, throwing herself upright.

_Well, no need to get huffy about the rules, dear,_ the voice said patronisingly.

"Dear? DEAR!?!? Now listen, you..." Lily began furiously.

"Lils? Uh...what are you doing?" Aria said from the door, looking confused.

"Er...nothing. Just...never mind, forget about it." Lily said. "So, what's the plan for today?" She smiled winningly.

Aria looked at her oddly. "Are you sure you're alright, Lily?"

"Yes! Fine! Never better!" Lily hopped over to her friend, put her arm around her shoulders and steered her forcefully from the room. 

"Anyways, I thought we would go shopping in Hogsmeade today. You know, prep for the ball, all that..." After a final glance at her friend, Aria chatted happily as they exited Lily's dorms. Lily winced.

"Fun," she said flatly. Aria stopped dead, whirled around and turned Lily to face her.

"Lily Evans!" Aria exclaimed mock-angrily. "You are going to shop, find a gorgeous dress and HAVE FUN, DAMMIT!"

"Okay, okay! I surrender!" Lily said, holding her hands up. "So, where are we going?"

"We're going to somewhere different. All of the other girls will have the usual robes, while we're going to have _dresses_."

Lily blinked as they walked out into the snow and snagged a horseless carriage. "Dresses? Isn't that what Muggle girls wear."

"Yeah," Aria replied nonchalantly as they bumped up the road towards the village, "but they're gorgeous. And way easier to move in than those heavy robes." 

Lily shrugged, "Whatever you say, Aria. You know better than I do." They stopped abruptly, and the two girls hopped out.

"Look, Peter! It's the whore and the nerd!" Sirius said mockingly, pointing at them as soon as they stepped onto the cobblestones. Practically the entire student body turned to watch the confrontation. Aria froze, but Lily's wits stayed sharp as ever.

"Oh, look Aria!" she drawled back, "It's the imbecile and the...well, I don't know what to call him." The two boys flushed angrily as the watching group tittered.

"But which one is which?" Aria said quietly, her face taking on a look of innocent puzzlement. At that, the snickers grew even louder.

"Just you wait, Evans. You'll get what's coming to you!" Sirius snarled. At that moment, James and Remus arrived.

"There you are, guys! We've been...oh, hi Lily, Ariadna." Remus said, nodding to the two girls. Aria flushed scarlet and mumbled something. Lily smiled in return.

"Hello Lily." James said quietly. Lily jumped, and turned to face him. Noticing the many eyes on them, she smiled nervously.

"Potter." she said by way of greeting. She anxiously looked around at the crowd pressing in. "Well, it was nice chatting with you boys but we have to go. Now. Er, right now." She smiled tightly, grabbed Aria by the arm and forced their way through the crowd.

After they turned out of sight, she heaved a sigh and let go of her friend. Taking a quick glance at Aria, she grinned. The other girl stood there as if daydreaming, a silly smile on her face.

"He _talked_ to me. He talked _to_ me. He talked to _me,_" Aria said dreamily.

"Ariaaa...time to shooop..." Lily said in a sing-song. The other girl shook herself, and marched brusquely down the street.

"Of course it is. Here's the place! Coming, Lils?" She turned imperiously to look back.

Lily stifled a chuckle. "Right behind you."  


* * *

  
  


Meanwhile, the four boys stalked down the Main Street of Hogsmeade. Sirius was fuming. 

"I can't believe the little tart would say that! In front of all those people, too! She had no right...NO right!" he said angrily, Peter nodding along at his every word.

"And that Figg too," Peter added, "She's just following Evans' every word." He snorted. "They're probably lesbo lovers." 

"Guys, you insulted them first," Remus pointed out, his own temper rising.

"So? That doesn't mean they're allowed to insult back!" Sirius snapped.

"Just relax, ok? It's over now." James broke in. "Lily had every right, anyways." he muttered. Sirius stiffened, but gave James a falsely jovial smile and slung an arm over his shoulders.

"Right, right. We'll get them good later anyways." Sirius said, than spotted a likely group of girls. "If you gentlemen would excuse me, my date for the ball is calling me. Ta!" He swaggered off towards the girls, who giggled as he came closer.

"We're going out tonight, right?" James whispered to Remus and Peter. Remus nodded.

"I can feel it already." he said quietly, looking up at the sky apprehensively where a faded moon was visible. Peter smiled.

"S'okay. Tonight's the night we explore the last part of the Forest." he said excitedly. James nodded.

"Yup. Though if Siri keeps being such a prick..." James trailed off absently.

Peter opened his mouth to retort, but Remus gave him a quick glare. The smaller boy shut his mouth with a snap.

As the three remaining boys wandered through the streets of the village, they headed in the general direction of Zonko's. Approaching the store, a group of three girls caught up to them.

"James..." Ally purred, wrapping herself around him. "How are you?" James grimaced, and he pushed her off. 

"Fine, thanks," he said brusquely.

"Remie, there you are!" exclaimed Allicia with a mock shriek as she raced over to hug him. Remus seemed to sigh.

"Hey, Allicia," he said, standing stiffly as she wrapped her arms around him.

"Where's Sirius, Peter?" asked the remaining member of the group, Michelle.

"Finding a date,." he said grumpily, feeling as though he was being left out once again.

"Oh." Michelle said disappointedly, then perked up suddenly. "And how are you, Peter?" she said.

Peter stood there processing this for a moment, then a slow smile spread over his face. "Great!" he said excitedly. "So, what brings you girls over here?"

"Oh, we're just trying to find dates for the ball. How about it, boys?" Ally said, looking expectantly at James.

"Sorry, I'm taking Lily." James replied gleefully. At the sudden death glares all three girls gave him, he quickly added an explanation. "We have to go together; you know, Head Boy, Head Girl..." Ally pouted for a moment, but seeing as that would change nothing, gave up and turned away.

Remus looked helplessly at James, then turned back to the eager Allicia "I...er..." he stammered, but regained his composure, "I...have my eye on...someone else," he said hesitantly, as though he wasn't really convinced. Allicia pretended to cry, one eye on Remus' reaction, but turned back to join Ally anyways.

Peter smiled at Michelle, "Of course. How could I resist such a beautiful girl?" Michelle giggled, and laid a hand on his arm.

"How about we get to...know each other better?" she asked, purring as Ally had before.

"Sure! See you guys," he said, before leaving with Michelle. Ally and Allicia gave them identical glares before stalking off. The boys looked at each other, expressions of disgust on their faces, before turning and entering Zonko's.

"Good thing I had that excuse," James said as the two boys pored over the items displayed. "Ooh! Radical Rainstorm Rockets!" he exclaimed, pointing excitedly.

Remus grabbed the rocket off the shelf as he replied, "I had to think of one on the spur of the moment. Anyone would be better than Allicia."

"Except for maybe Ally,'" James muttered. "Honestly, I wish she would stop chasing me!"

"Yeah, I don't know what she sees in you." Remus teased, and James punched him on the shoulder, laughing.

"Well, I'm pretty sure I know who you have your eye on..." James said mischievously.

Remus suddenly looked nervous, "Me? Have my eye on someone? Suuure. Right. I just said that to get Allicia off my back."

"Uh-huh," James said, unconvinced.

"Yeah. Oh, look! Frog spawn teacups!" Remus said, pointing.

"Remus, we have almost fifty of them."

"Oh. Right."

  
  


* * * 

  
  


"How about this one Lils? Lils?" Aria said as she turned around. Lily was slumped in a chair, exhausted. A huge pile of dresses was stacked next to her.

"I have no idea how you do this all the time." she said, eyes closed.

"Just a couple more. Then we can start finding yours!" Lily groaned. "What was that, Lils?" Aria said cheerfully.

"Nothing, nothing..." Lily trailed off, staring blankly at the wall. 

"Now, what do you think...chiffon or silk?" Aria asked, staring at the rack of dresses in front of her.

"Silk."

"One-shoulder or scoop-neck?"

"One-shoulder."

"Sleeves?"

"No."

"Form-fitting?"

"Definitely."

"Matte or shimmer?"

"Shimmer."

"Well then, here's mine!" Aria said, fishing a sparkly blue dress out of the rack. Lily stared. "You have such good taste, Lils!" Aria exclaimed before rushing to try it on.

"But I was just...saying random things." Lily began, but sighed as Aria left. 

_You could still be talking to James,_ the voice said.

*I'm not talking to you. People think I'm crazy. I think I'm crazy. So please, just leave me alone?* Lily thought back.

_I am not allowed. I am your guide._

Lily snorted. *Some guide. You won't tell me anything! All you say is 'Go talk to James', which doesn't help me at all.*

_That's what you think. Just...listen to me tonight, okay?_ The voice, dropping its formal tone, sounded almost pleading.

*If you're being reasonable, maybe.* Lily thought back, but straightened as Aria walked in. "Wow. That's...gorgeous! It looks amazing."

"Does it?" Aria said, twirling to let the shimmery blue fabric fly out behind her.

"YES! It brings out your eyes, it...well, it flows!" Lily was amazed. Aria almost glowed, she looked so good.

"I'm getting it." Looking at the price tag, she smiled. "And the other good thing about dresses...they're much cheaper."

"Crap!" Lily exclaimed suddenly, smacking her forehead with her hand. "I didn't think about the price! I don't have any money of my own, Aria!"

Aria flapped her hand nonchalantly as she approached the sales witch. "I know; I'm paying."

"You're WHAT?"

Aria paid for her own dress, and turned around. "Of course. Didn't you know that? Now, off you go; find a dress you like."

Lily stood up, and hesitantly walked over to the rack. It seemed almost to stretch as she looked at it. *Well, I'll just find the cheapest one and get that.* she thought. Digging through piles of clothing, she finally found one that suited.

"I'm going to try one on," she called to her friend, who nodded while paying for her own dress. Lily put it on, then walked out into the store.

"Lils..." Aria said with a frustrated sigh. 

"What? It works," Lily stated, looking critically at the ankle-length, full-sleeve, black wool dress she was wearing.

"It's a nun's dress!" Aria said critically. "The disgusting thing is that you still look amazing."

"Hey!"

"But," her friend continued, "You and I both know that you can find a much better dress than _that_. You'll look even more amazing. Now, come on. The price doesn't matter." Aria sighed. "If it makes you feel better, you can pay me back whenever you can. I'm going to pick out some dresses for you." Aria walked out before Lily could say another word.

"Whatever made me want a dragon for a friend?" she muttered, turning around and taking the other dress off.

"The same thing that made me want to be your friend- mutual insanity," Aria replied as she tossed a pile of dresses over the changing room door. "Try these on."

The girls spent the next few hours trying on dress after dress after dress. Too short, too long, too poufy, too flashy, too plain...it seemed to Lily that they would never find the right one for her.

Aria collapsed in a heap as Lily strode out of the room. "I'm going to find one last one, and then we're leaving with the burgundy one." she called. She heard a grunted answer, and stepped out into the middle of the store.

_Try the back left corner._ the voice whispered.

*Why?* Lily thought back obnoxiously, but went back anyways. All of the older, discontinued dresses were back there. Riffling through piles of junk, she sighed. *Why do I even listen to you?*

_That's why,_ the voice said smugly as Lily gasped. There, like a gem among sewage, itwas. The perfect dress. 

*Oh my god, thanks so much! I take it back, you really are a guide!* Lily thought happily as she rushed back to the changing rooms, the dress clutched in her arms.

"Aria? What do you think?" Lily said nervously after she walked out of the dressing room. Her friend sat up, took one look and almost fell off her chair.

"Oh my GOD! Lily, that is IT! It's perfect! I don't care about the price, we're getting it and that's that!" Aria babbled, eyes wide.

"Really?" Lily asked, smiling hesitantly.

"You're gonna knock em' dead!" Aria exclaimed with a huge smile, and rushed over to hug her friend. "Now, get changed, we'll buy the dress and we'll head back to the castle. That's assuming you already have shoes and accessories."

"I don't," Lily confessed sheepishly.

"Even better. Off to The Witch's Wardrobe!" Aria said, pointing her hand dramatically in the air and posing. Lily chuckled as she headed back to the changing room.

  
  


* * * 

  
  


Later that afternoon, James and Remus had returned to the castle. James, realizing he had an essay he really needed to start (that was due on Monday), hurried off to his dorm. He wrote anxiously for almost an hour, but then decided he needed a break. Flopping on his bed, he stared blankly up at the ceiling.

_Hello, James,_ an unknown voice said suddenly. James sat bolt upright, scanning the room.

*What was that?* he thought, looking around. *I must be hearing things.* He lay back down once more.

_No, you're not hearing things. _The voice whispered once more. _I really am speaking to you; just not out loud._

James shot upright once again. *That's it; I need to lighten my workload. I'm going insane.* He heard a ghostly sigh.

_Why do they always think they're crazy?_ The voice said resentfully._ Can't they just accept that there's a voice speaking to them and listen for once? Adolescents. Always contrary._

*Hey!* James thought angrily. *I have enough to do without listening to mysterious voices!*

_See, there you go again._

"ARGH!" James exclaimed out loud. "Look, just leave me alone!"

_Fine, if you don't want my advice._ The voice said tantalizingly. James sighed.

*Fine. Tell me.* he thought back. 

_I'm your guide, I should know. _The voice paused dramatically. _You shouldn't go out tonight. Evil things will happen. Plots are underway. And with the dissention between your friends...things will not go well._

James paused, incredulous. *You're kidding, right? I'm not going to ask how you know everything, but I have to go out tonight. We can't leave Remus alone. Besides, nothing ever happens.*

_If you say so,_ the voice said resignedly. _I__t may turn out better than it seems. There is still a lot of danger..._

*Don't worry Mother, I'll be fine.* James thought back. He thought he heard a groan, and smiled. *So, what are you anyways?*

_I can't tell you,_ The voice sounded regretful. _It would break the rules, and we already know what consequences that could have._

*Well, gee, thanks,* James thought back, *So you're just a mysterious voice who guides me, who I'm supposed to listen to without question and you're not allowed to tell me anything.*

_Now he understands. _the voice replied. James stifled a growl.

*What advice do you have for me, then?* he asked.

_Other than not going out tonight..._ the voice paused, talk to Lily.

*Talk to Lily? She won't even talk to me! You probably know how nervous she was today when all I did was say hello!* James sounded resentful even to his own ears.

_It's because you were surrounded by a crowd, _the voice explained smugly, she hates them.

*And how would you know that?* James asked quizzically.

Uh...forget it, the voice said nervously. _If all goes according to plan, you won't need to talk to her._

*Plan?* James thought back, slightly confused, but the voice refused to answer. Realizing that he wouldn't get any more out of the voice, he figured he might as well work some more. He got up, and walked back downstairs to his essay. As he sat down, quill poised above the parchment, a single thought popped into his head.

*I wish I _could _talk to Lily.*

  
  


***

  
  


**Beta's Note:** Hey...this is vamperfly...the best beta in the world. (he-he) Doesn't this story rock?? Yeah...**review **this awesome story that I love and then read MY stories...*evil laughter* Playing With Fire, Beyond the Veil, and Girl All the Gryffindors Want because I said so...sorry for the self-advertising. 

  


  



	14. Ch 13: The Endless Night

Hi guys.

Winces as various rotten vegetables, rocks and other such items hit her in the face.

Nice to see y'all too. I suppose you're wondering where I've been for all this time, and quite frankly, there is no simple answer. I got a new computer because my old one completely died, and THAT took about six months because of re-hooking up the Internet, etc., etc....then I got swamped with homework, my best friend had some problems and I have a new (premature) baby sister...So I didn't really get a chance to write until school ended, about two weeks ago. So here it is, the long-overdue chappie where things REALLY start happening. And sorry, vamperfly, about not giving you a chance to beta it; I leave for camp tommorrow, so there would have been no time to post it. Speaking of camp, it means another LONG absence: I don't get back till July 27. cowers BUT during the summer, I will definitely post more now that I have lots of time. And the story is definitely not over! Thanks to all the reviewers who (repeatedly) kicked my ass into gear, and even the flamers, because every little bit helps. So here goes. deep breath. I hope I haven't lost my touch.

Chapter 13: The Endless Night

Voldemort sat, stroking his pet snake Nagini lazily. He stirred as a man walked quietly into the room. The man prostrated himself, and waited to be recognized by his lord.

"Speak." Voldemort hissed dangerously. The man gulped visibly, but the Dark Lord ignored his fear, for there were more important matters at hand.

"My lord, all of the units are in place. We prepare for the attack. Are there any more orders?" the man asked, still bowing.

"Yes. I will need an unflawed crystal bowl, two silver candlesticks with black candles and a black silk cloth." The man was puzzled at his master's request but bowed anyways.

"As you-"

"I was not finished." Voldemort hissed cruelly, turning around, his red eyes boring into those of his servant. "I also require three victims to be disposed of, preferably of magical blood. If you cannot find me such victims, you and your family will take the empty places. Do I make myself clear?"

"Y-y-yes, my lord." the man stammered, bowed hastily and left the room as fast as possible. Voldemort grinned ferally, then returned his attention to the small black diary in his right hand.

"Soon, Nagini," he said, stroking the snake once again, "Soon we will use Djukta's art and conquer the magical world. As soon as Hogwarts is disposed of." The Dark Lord turned his head to look at a map of magical England. The approximate location of Hogwarts castle was circled in red, and just to the south, many black dots encroached on the castle.

"Soon, Nagini," he hissed, lulling the python into sleep. "Soon."

Lily and Aria arrived back at the castle with the last departing carriage. Each girl carried multiple shopping bags that, although already having been lightened by charms, seemed to weigh a ton. Both girls looked absolutely exhausted as they arrived at the entrance to Aria's dorm.

"That was fun. Really. Even though I feel like I'm gonna die." Lily said, leaning on the wall for support and closing her eyes.

"Mm-hmm. We're gonna look hot." Aria mumbled, and spoke the password. "'Night, Lils." she hugged her friend, who recovered from her stupor in time to hug her back weakly. "Get some sleep; you look worse than I do." With that, Aria turned and went inside the portrait hole.

"Gee, thanks." Lily said, then realized her friend had already left. "Some listener you are." she muttered grumpily, then hefted her bags up and began the seemingly endless trek back to her own bed.

Lily walked wearily past the statue and stared in seeming agony at the rising staircase in front of her. "What is it with all the staircases in this damn place?" she exclaimed, throwing her shopping down with a clatter.

"Hey, Lily." James said, looking up from his parchment. Lily looked up through bleary eyes. "Excuse me for saying this, but you look dead."

"I feel dead." she said, lying down on the floor with a sigh.

"I'd help you if I could, but I've already had too many bad experiences with that staircase." James said with a wry smile. Lily couldn't help but grin.

"Too many meaning one?" she asked, trying to sound sarcastic but somehow failing.

"Exactly." James said, trying to keep the mood light.

"I see." The two sat there in uncomfortable silence.

"So, er, this may be a bad time and I know you feel like shit so please don't rip my head off but..." James began.

"Potter, did you know that you babble when you're nervous?" Lily said flatly. She was in no mood for blather.

"So I do." James seemed taken aback. Lily resisted the urge to turn her head and see if he was blushing. A sly grin formed on her face.

Lily Evans, that isn't very nice. the voice said reproachfully.

_I'm not in the mood to be nice._ Lily replied snappishly.

"You know, you're really the only person who makes me act like this. I mean, I've never had a problem talking to other girls, or even asking them out, and..." James said conversationally. Lily sighed.

"Potter." she said, exasperated. She got up on one elbow to look at him. To her amusement, this time he did blush.

"Right. Staying on topic." James took a deep breath. "I was thinking that we need some more dance practice."

"Why?" Lily asked bluntly, making no secret of her distaste for the idea.

"Well, we'll be dancing in front of a crowd, and I can tell you from experience that always makes it harder." James said, his voice strengthening. "And since your whole goal in doing this is to not look like a fool..." he trailed off, looking at her expectantly.

"I guess." she said hesitantly. She could almost feel someone grinning excitedly. _Oh shut up!_ she snapped mentally, having a hunch on what it was, and the feeling stopped immediately. "You're right, Potter." she said with a tone of finality. "Besides, let's just say I don't feel entirely confortable with dancing yet." She smiled wryly, and James grinned in return.

"Soon, ze lady will have maztered ze arrt of ze dance!" he said, putting on a fake French accent and gesturing floridly. Lily chuckled at his antics.

"I hope so." she said absently, looking up at the staircase once again. Re-living their conversation in her mind, Lily suddenly winced. "Hey, Potter?"

"Yeah?"

"Sorry for being such a bitch." she said ruefully.

"No problem. I'm sorta used to it by now. I thought shopping was supposed to make girls happy though." he teased.

"Not the carrying-everything-back part." she said with a sigh.

"I could levitate your bags up the stairs for you." he offered. "I mean, I could offer to do the same for you but I don't think I'm up to moving a human being. I'm pretty tired too."

"As long as you promise not to laugh at me as I crawl up the stairs." Lily replied.

"Scout's honor." he said, holding up a hand. He flicked his wand and whispered a few words. Her shopping bags immediately floated up the stairs and landed gently at the foot of her bedroom door. "Your turn." he said mischievously.

With a groan, Lily stared at the rising staircase in front of her. Summoning up her last dregs of energy, she got smoothly to her feet and walked casually up the stairs.

"I thought you were exhausted." James said, amused.

"You'd be amazed at what willpower can do." she said, and turned to go to her room.

"Shit!" she heard from behind her. Turning around once more, she saw James get up and run to their dorm's exit.

"Hey Potter, there's this lovely rule called curfew?" Lily said dryly.

"I gotta go, I'm gonna be late!" he said, looking back at her momentarily.

"But where..." she began, but he had already left. "Dammit! Potter! Come back!" she yelled, and gave an angry sigh. He'd better have a very good explanation for this. she fumed, and raced off after him. However, in the few short seconds it took her to get out into the hallway, he had already vanished.

"What the hell?" Lily said as she listened intently, and heard nothing. "It's not possible! He couldn't just disappear!" She stood in silence, completely puzzled. After a few moments, she realized that she would just have to wait for him to come back. Walking back into the common room with a sigh, she sat on one of the couches by the fireplace and prepared herself for a long night.

James heaved a sigh of relief as he heard Lily walk away. He pressed his forehead to the cool stone panel that was the entrance to the secret passageway, willing everything to just go away. Once again, time caught up with him. "Crap!" he whispered quietly as he caught a glance at his watch, and immediately raced off down the tunnel. The guys are gonna be so pissed at me. he thought as he came out of the exit, right near their appointed meeting place.

At the sound of his footsteps, the two boys standing there turned to look at him. One look at the expressions on their faces confirmed his suspicions, and he winced inwardly. Oh boy. Here we go. he thought, and plastered a smile on his face.

"Hey guys. Sorry I'm late." he said, keeping his voice light.

"Where the hell were you?" Sirius said in an angry whisper. "Remus is just about to transform!"

So much for trying to be cheerful. he thought angrily, his mood quickly turning sour. "Back off, okay! I got held up!" he snapped back.

"Whatever," Peter said. "Just throw the Cloak over us and we'll go."

"Shit! The Cloak!" James exclaimed, hitting himself on the forehead. "It's on the couch in the Common Room!"

"It's WHERE?" Sirius yelled. A nearby painting roused itself sleepily.

"You boys should be in bed." the elegant woman said, and yawned hugely.

"Don't worry, Lucinda." James smiled charmingly. "We'll be back soon." The other two smiled and nodded as well, looking as innocent as possible.

The painting smiled benevolently. "Children these days..." she said, shaking her head and closing her eyes. The boys waited with bated breath until she began to snore. Dropping the fake smile from his face, Peter whirled on James.

"God dammit, James." Peter hissed, looking out of the corner of his eye at Sirius, who nodded his approval. "Where the hell is your head? Have you stopped thinking?"

James was about to make an angry reply when Sirius beat him to the punch. "What were you doing that got you so distracted and that you won't tell us about?" he accused.

"Look, I was talking to Lily and lost track of time! Not such a big deal! I don't need you two mothering me, too! 'Oh, Jamesie, where have you _been_? We were so worried!'" James said angrily, putting on a nasal woman's voice.

Sirius suddenly looked calm. "Ah," he said mock-wisely, "I get it. You were thinking with the head below the belt. Can't really blame you, the bitch is hot."

Peter shook his head. "You could do so much better than her, James." he said mockingly.

James' eyes narrowed. "What's the matter with you, Peter? And you, Sirius?" he said, trying vainly to restrain his temper.

"What's the matter? YOU'RE what's the matter! You're not yourself anymore! You never prank, never hang out with us and all you talk about is Evans! Don't you see what that bitch is doing to you?" Sirius spat.

James had never longed to punch his best friend in the face more than that moment. He stood there, anger blazing from his eyes, then turned on his heel abruptly and started walking towards the exterior door.

"Come on. Wouldn't want to be late, would we." he said ironically, not looking back. Pushing open the door, he walked out into the cool night air. Hearing footsteps behind him, he waited until the other two boys were next to him.

The three strode towards the Weeping Willow and transformed wordlessly. Peter slipped between the thrashing branches and pressed the knot, effectively freezing the tree. Together, the three animals entered the Shrieking Shack and found Remus, who stared at them with red eyes.

The giant black dog padded up to the werewolf and wagged its tail. The werewolf's began to wag as well. Once each animal had greeted the werewolf, they exited the Shack and headed out to the Forbidden Forest, the stag to the left, the werewolf in the middle and the black dog on the other side. The rat followed close behind.

The four animals spent most of the night exploring the Forest. However, there seemed to be a kind of tension between them; on previous nights, they often played together and yet tonight, they merely walked around, stiffly formal. The werewolf seemed puzzled by this turn of events. But still, they continued their exploration, on this dark and windless night when their only illumination was the full moon. As they entered an unknown section of the Forest, a dark cloud passed across the moon, cutting off their light entirely.

Suddenly, as the four animals entered a dark clearing, both werewolf and dog stopped dead. The stag and rat looked at them in confusion. The werewolf's hackles went up and the dog growled softly. The stag seemed to understand the signal and immediately faced the darkness, horns lowered in defense. The rat squeaked its fear and immediately disappeared.

Leaves began to rustle from across the clearing. The sounds grew closer and seemed to surround the three remaining animals, who quickly formed a protective circle.

Abruptly, the sounds stopped. The three animals waited, tense with anxiety and fear. For a few nervous moments, nothing happened. Then, rythmic footsteps approached. The stag listened intently, counting the leg beats. They were fast, rythmic and very, very numerous.

The creature stopped directly in front of them. As if on cue, the cloud passed and the clearing was illuminated in a pale silver light.

The first thing James saw was a leg. One large, brown, hairy leg. As he looked up, the legs joined up into a monstrous, hairy body. Holy fuck. James thought dazedly. A Quintaped.

The quintaped stomped each of its five legs in turn. From the ring of creatures encircling the trio, there were answering thumps. There's no way we can fight off one of the things, much less the entire quintaped clan! James thought, panicking. He looked nervously at his two friends, who seemed as nervous as he.

The werewolf, sensing the futility of the situation, raised its snout to the moon and howled a cry of anguish and dispair. The dog joined its voice to the werewolf. The two howled on and on, as James tried desperately to analyze the situation. Slowly, the black dog began to back away, still howling, and the stag and werewolf followed suit.

The lead quintaped snarled, and followed them. The ring of furry brown creatures closed tighter and tighter as the situation suddenly became clear. They were trapped.

Lily sat bolt upright on the couch on which she had been dozing as an eerie howl floated into the room. What the hell is that? she thought anxiously as she padded over to the window and peered out.

_LILY!!!_ the voiced shrilled in her head, and she jumped.

AAGH! What? WHAT? she thought back.

_Listen to me right now. On the couch, there is a silvery blanket. Take it. _

Lily was confused. A blanket? But...

_DO IT! This is no time to argue!_

Her head ringing from the voice's reprimand, she grabbed the aforementioned blanket. Okay, blanket. Now what?

_Put it on. It's an Invisibility Cloak. Filch is up already and you need to avoid him. Then run to your practice room and get your sword._

My sword? I don't even have a sword! Can't I just bring my wand? And an Invisibility Cloak? Really? What's happening? Lily asked frantically.

_Too many questions and not enough time! Get your wand, borrow your teacher's sword and put on the Cloak. GET MOVING!_ The voice sounded almost afraid.

Lily grabbed her wand and stuck it in the waistband of her pyjama pants. Throwing the Cloak over her head, she raced out of the room and then stopped dead.

_Now what?_ the voice asked impatiently.

It's Filch. You don't want me to get caught, do you? Lily thought back, the voice's fear infecting her.

_For heaven's sake, you're invisible! Just go!_ the voice snapped, and Lily obeyed without a second thought.

She sprinted in front of Filch, the Cloak bouncing as she ran. The caretaker barely blinked an eye, which reassured her greatly. Running to her practice area, she grabbed her teacher's sword from its bracket and paused.

Okay, sword. Now, will you please tell me what's going on?

_Still no time! Go find a broomstick and get ready to fly._

Lily's eyes widened. Whoa, I draw the line RIGHT THERE! There is no way in my life I am ever getting on a broom of my own volition!

_Dammit Lily, you have to do this of your own free will! Remember that prophecy I told you about? Somebody important is under attack, now get your ass in gear and MOVE!_

__ATTACK? Oh my god! Lily raced off at a dead run towards her own dorms.

_Where on earth are you going?_ the voice shrieked at her. _This is no time to get dressed!_

The Quidditch Pitch is too far away, all the school brooms are locked up and Potter keeps his in his room. Lily thought back as she hurtled up the stairs to the statue, the unicorn sliding out of the way. As she raced up the following set of stairs and burst into the room, she paused, panicked that she might have woken Potter.

_In the far right corner, next to his mirror._

Thanks, but I'm trying not to wake him up. I don't exactly want him to think I'm stealing his broom. Lily replied.

_He's not even here!_ the voice insisted. Lily risked a quick movement and the bed was indeed empty and still made.

"I hate it when you're right." Lily muttered to herself, and strode to the appropriate corner. Grasping the Silver Arrow, she threw the window wide and mounted the broom nervously.

_Good grief, girl, the thing isn't going to bite you! Lives are at stake!_ shrieked the voice, and Lily shook herself brusquely. Biting her lip, she kicked off from the ground and hovered momentarily, swaying. She pushed her hands along the shaft and the broom shot forward into the cool night air.

Next time I see Potter, I'll have to thank him for the flying lessons. she mused.

_Think about it later, you're heading for the Forbidden Forest, straight ahead. _the voice chided. _Listen._

Lily heard the eerie howl again, this time joined by another voice. Okay, saving someone important from random creatures. Gotcha. she thought back, as she directed the broom towards the sound.

_You have no idea just how important._ the voice whispered softly, but the readhead wasn't listening.

"Alright, here goes." she whispered to herself. Lily steeled herself, carefully drew the sword and took a deep breath. "LUMOS MAXIMA!"


	15. Ch 14: Into Battle

Hello, my wonderful, faithful and slightly annoyed readers! (Okay, more than slightly) I know, I know...5 whole months without an update...But anyhoo, I won't bore you with all the details, so let's just say I'm back and in business! Chappies will come at a MUCH, MUCH faster rate now! I luuuurve you all for sticking with me through all of this, and for those who just keep on reviewin' and kicking my ass into writing (or at least trying to write)...well you get twice the luuuurve!!! ;) So here it is, the next slightly shorter installment of the Ice Queen! Enjoy! (And once again many, many apologies to vamperfly for not betaing it with her first ; I'm just so **excited** to have finally written something! :D)

-eventergurl88

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Chapter 14- Into Battle 

A blinding white light illuminated the clearing, stunning its occupants momentarily. Lily quickly scanned the situation.

/Right, dog, wolf, stag...what am I fighting?/ Lily asked anxiously after a moment of utter silence.

_Merlin's beard, girl, not them! THOSE! Get moving! _the voice shrieked angrily. Lily's gaze dropped downwards for a moment, seeing nothing. Then, out of the corner of her eye, she noticed something large and brown speeding rapidly towards her.

/What the.../ she thought, quickly swerving the broom away from the leg of the furious Quintaped.

/Okay. That./ Taking another deep breath, she pushed her hands down the handle of the broom and shot downwards, aiming straight for the monstrous furry body.

As she dove, she felt adrenaline course through her veins and her heart beat a frantic tattoo inside her body. Blood roared in her ears like a siren.

Finally, she couldn't contain herself any longer.

"HERE COMES TROUBLE, YOU BASTARD!" she screamed, letting go of the broom completely and drawing her sword.

She struck the Quintaped with a crack, and flipped off to land on her feet. Brandishing both wand and weapon, she muttered the glowing spell and grinned manaically as both began to flicker with green fire.

"A little more than you bargained for, huh buddy?" she said conversationally to the stunned monster. "Now, I don't quite feel like killing you so why don't you just run along now."

The animal stared at her, seemingly bemused. A startled whine from behind her reminded her of the other mysterious animals. Turning, she faced the odd group.

"That would be your cue to run away, guys," she said, not quite sure why she was speaking. "I got it from here."

The stag cocked its head. It seemed oddly familiar to Lily, as did the other two. "What are you guys, anyways?" she said, stepping closer. The stag merely gazed at her, its dark eyes incredibly hypnotic.

Nearly mesmerized, Lily switched her wand to her left hand and reached up to stroke the stag's cheek. The animal half-closed his eyes as she came closer. She was even more startled when its' eyes snapped open and the pupils grew huge with fear.

"Wha...?" she began, but all the air had gone from her body as she was violently struck with a enormous leg and hurled into a tree.

* * *

James dodged the path of the Quintaped and watched, agonized, as Lily flew into the tree and slid down it, to land motionless in a crumpled heap. One of the beasts stomped up to her lifeless form, obviously intent on finishing her off. Something snapped in him, as he found himself bellowing and levelling his horns at the ring of monsters, stamping his hoof to give challenge. 

Behind him, he heard Sirius whine again. Remus padded up carefully and nudged him, his intent clear.

/No! I won't leave! I can't!/ he thought angrily, turning away once more.

_That's the spirit, laddie. _the voice said forcefully. _Now go kick some hairy ass!_

Bellowing once more, James charged into the thick of the monsters, swiping left and right with his horns. Narrowly missing a crushing foot, he wheeled, kicking another, before rearing and screaming his anger.

The Quintapeds hissed in answer, forming a ring of stamping feet and biting jaws. James dodged this way and that, occasionally scoring a blow. However, it was painfully obvious that the stag would be second best in this contest.

Suddenly, twin snarls sounded from outside the ring. Sirius and Remus had joined the fight, and were biting their way into the center of the circle. James took advantage of the distraction to deeply wound a Quintaped as the two canines bounded to his side. Together, they faced the enemy, each screaming his defiance.

The monsters roared in unison, making the trees shake. Once again, they began their plan of stamp and bite, scoring marks on all three boys. James shook his head, the adrenaline wearing thin.

/We aren't getting anywhere! What are we going to do?/ he thought frantically, once again searching for an escape route. That thought cost him dearly, as a Quintaped stomped downwards, smashing one of his fragile legs.

James screamed, the pain of his shattered leg nearly driving him blind. Dimly, he heard the anguished howls of Remus and Sirius and felt the Quintaped lifting him up. Strangely, he felt calm.

/So this is it, then./ he thought through a fog of agony, his leg flapping uselessly beneath him. /Not so bad, really./

_Boy, what are you saying?! You can do it, get out of there, come on, do something! _the voice babbled.

/Too...late.../ James managed, as he felt himself begin to fall. The fetid breath of the Quintaped blasted him as he bid farewell to the world.

Amazingly, he kept falling. And falling. Somehow, he was slowing down. That's...odd... he thought dimly as he landed gently on what felt like solid ground. Grimacing with the effort, he opened his eyes.

And there she was. Ice pale, a slash of red down one cheek, a bloody sword held in the guard position and eyes hard as agates as she surveyed the corpse of the still-twitching Quintaped.

"You know, I really didn't want to have to do that." she said. Her voice, though steely, was like music to James' battered ears. Feeling his loss of control on his stag shape, he dragged himself to the base of a tree and regained his human form. Clutching his shattered arm gingerly, he stared, awestruck, at the sight before him.

There was Lily, Remus and Sirius to either side, nearly glowing with green fire. The remaining Quintapeds advanced gingerly, seemingly afraid.

"I know you understand me." Lily's voice boomed, making him jump. "Now, you can end up like your friend here or you can leave. Immediately."

The creatures shifted, seemingly undecided. "Obviously, you need some encouragement." she said to herself in that manic tone of voice. Suddenly, the nimbus surrounding her tripled in brightness. "Do you want to see what happens when I really get angry?" she roared, whipping lashes of fire at the Quintapeds. "Leave now and never return, or I will hunt you down and kill you like the monsters you are! GO!"

As if released, the creatures wheeled as one and stampeded off through the forest, smashing trees in their terror. James watched their retreat, pleased, but bent double as his arm gave him a painful reminder as to its condition.

"Ow." he said dully, as he fell in a dead faint.

* * *

Lily watched the creatures retreat, her legs trembling more and more with every second. Dropping her sword and wand with a clatter, she dropped to her knees and clapped a hand over her mouth, shaking.

/I'm a monster. I've killed something, I've snapped, I'm crazy. What will I do now? I can't go back to school, I'll kill everyone, but I can't leave, I'll kill everyone else.../ Her vision spun in crazy circles as she fought for breath.

_Lily. Lily! LILY!_ the voice yelled. She nearly fell to the ground in shock. _You're not a monster. You did what you had to do._

/But I ran at it and stabbed it! Blood poured out and it fell and looked at me and...Oh lord./ Lily retched as she stumbled upright, rushed to a nearby tree and emptied her stomach of its contents.

_These are perfectly normal reactions, Lily._

"But I've killed! I'm a murderer!" she said.

_Look, girl, it was you or it. _the voice said impatiently. _Now, you've got other things to deal with right now so get a hold of yourself. We can discuss things later. _

"Other things? What..." Lily said as she turned around. The wolf and dog stared at her quizzically.

"Right." she said with a sigh. Warning her emotions to behave, she sat gingerly on the ground, grabbed her wand and beckoned to them. "Come on, guys, I'll heal you up."

The dog looked at the wolf, who licked its chops and stepped forward. Growling, the dog forced it back. The wolf, in turn, raised its hackles and growled right back.  
"Huh? What are..." Lily began, but the canines began to fight. "Dogs? DOGS! Stop it this instant!" she shrieked, feeling at the end of her wits. "Stop it now..." she started, but broke down and began to cry, rocking back and forth.

"I tried, I really did, I can't function, all I can see is blood, gushing out, the look on its face, so surprised..." she babbled through her sobs, drowning in misery.

_Come on Lily, snap out of it._ the voice urged, sounding worried. But Lily paid it no heed as she continued to cry, nearly crazed with shock.

The sounds of the fighting wolf and dog faded away, and still she sat, rocking back and forth. Tears poured down her face and soaked into the earth as the images of death and agony kept replaying in her brain.

"Lil-" someone whispered. "Lily." She jerked, bolting to her feet.

"What is it?" she asked, her voice trembling. "Who's there?"

"Help me. Please." the voice asked, as Lily followed the sound cautiously, wiping the tears from her face. She nearly tripped over him when she realized who it was.

"James? What are you doing out here?" she asked breathlessly, all her previous misery pushed to the back of her mind.

"My arm...hurts...help..." he managed, looking at her feverishly.

"Your arm hur...oh my god." she breathed, looking at the mangled pulp of flesh and bone. "James, what happened?" Her voice rose in pitch, belying her anxiety.

"Someone...stepped on it." he said, somehow managing to grin.

"James Potter, you are coming back to the castle with me right now, going straight to Madam Pomfrey and getting this fixed up." she stated brusquely, carefully creating a makeshift sling with her cloak.

"Whatever...you say...Lils." he said lightly, trying to stand up.

"Don't even think about it!" she snapped as she levitated him carefully. "Don't injure yourself any more!" Trailing James behind her like a puppy on a leash, she found his broom and helped him carefully onto it.

As she was about to get on, he gripped her arm with his good hand. "Thanks." he said softly, as the moon fully illuminated the once-dark clearing.

Lily tried to think of something appropriate to say, but failed. Looking up into his eyes, she paused. Something was amiss.

James Potter's once ice-blue eyes were dark. A now-familiar, hypnotic darkness that had nearly gotten her killed.

Shaking her head, Lily could not help but grin, despite the situation. "Looks like you have a lot of explaining to do, Potter. Come on. Let's get you healed up."

Getting gingerly on the broom, she pulled him to her for stability and kicked off gently, soaring straight towards Hogwarts with all possible speed.


	16. Ch 15: Healing

Once again, another chappie. Aren't y'all proud of me? :D I made myself VERY happy by writing this...finally, some real L/J action! Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 15: Healing

Mid-morning sun poured into the Hospital Wing as James Potter rolled over and buried his head in his pillow.

_Morning, sunshine._ a sardonic voice rang in his mind. _Sleep well?_

/Oh, shut up./ he thought back grumpily. /I hurt. All over./

_Not as hurt as you could be._ it replied. James lifted his head from beneath the pillow and stared, bemused, at his intact arm.

/I thought...no way...I.../ he stammered mentally, turning his arm from side to side and poking it experimentally. /Wow./

_That matron of yours is real good, lad. That arm of yours wasn't a pretty picture before._ the voice said.

/No kidding. It doesn't even hurt!/ James was astonished. He had been convinced that he would never be able to use a wand again.

_Quick, boy, turn over. _the voice suddenly snapped.

/Wha...?/

_Turn! And shut your eyes!_ James complied.

"But miss Evans, if you would only..." the matron said, following someone into the wing.

"No thank you, Madam Pomfrey." said a cool female voice. James smiled, realizing he would probably recognize that voice until the day he died. "Bruises are a good reminder of stupid mistakes." Lily finished.

James made to turn around, but the voice growled warningly at him. "But miss Evans, bruises that serious are extremely painful, not to mention ugly. It would only be a moment..." the matron continued, bustling in behind Lily.

"No thank you." she replied again. "Now, if I may put on a shirt?"

James choked into his pillow. He couldn't stop himself from visualizing a shirtless Lily, long red hair flowing down in graceful waves, tanned lithe body...

_Ahem._ the voice said stuffily, interrupting his reverie. _I can see your thoughts too, you know._ James blushed so hard he feared he might ignite the pillow.

"Fine, miss Evans. But if you change your mind..." Madam Pomfrey trailed off.

"I'll know where to find you. Thank you very much." Lily replied, walking around until she was at the bed next to James'.

"Anytime." the matron replied softly, and left the room.

James heard cloth sliding over skin, but kept his face firmly buried in his pillow.

/Snape in the shower, Snape in the shower, Snape in...oh lord./ James repeated frantically, as his treacherous body reacted to his previous thoughts. /Dammit!/ He could have sworn he heard a giggle from somewhere.

"Potter, I know you're awake." Lily had walked to the side of the bed while he had been preoccupied. "And while I thank you for not watching, I am fully decent now so I expect you can look."

James turned around, screwing up his eyes against the glare of the sunlight.

"Lily?" His voice came out a croak. "What happened?"

She looked at him stonily, and sat down on the chair beside the bed. "I think you know perfectly well what happened.Why don't you tell me."

"Er...I was walking and I tripped. I smashed my arm on a tree root, and that's when you found me!" he tried, smiling charmingly.

"Try again." Her tone had turned threatening. "I did not wake up, fly a broomstick, get beaten up by a monster, somehow recover and kill the monster to hear some crock of shit."

"Oh right. That." He sighed. /How am I gonna get out of this one?/ he thought worriedly, looking for an excuse.

_How about the truth? She did save your ass, you know. _

"Well, it's a bit of a long story..." he began nervously, figuring that she did deserve to know.

"We have all morning." she pointed out. "Or rather, you do."

"I suppose. But you have to swear-" he looked around cautiously before lowering his voice. "-not to tell anyone. Including Dumbledore"

"I'm not promising anything." she said flatly.

"You don't swear, I don't tell." James said firmly, settling back on the pillows. Lily growled softly but nodded. "Yes?" he prodded.

"I swear. Now talk." she said bluntly, settling herself down and crossing her legs.

"Well, it all began in third year. Me, Sirius, Remus and Peter had just had McGonagall's Animagus lesson and we thought it would be fun to...well, do it."

_That's not quite right. _the voice said grumpily.

/She doesn't need to know everything./ James replied. /I do have limits./

"You wanted to become Animagus?" Lily sounded incredulous. "Why?"

"Think of the possibilities in the Forest! We could explore without getting caught!" James replied, his eyes turning dreamy with fond memories. "We had such good times...there was the night that Siri pretended he was a stray...nicked all this food...Peter found this wicked tree...the night we saw the fairy swarm..." He turned serious once more. "Not just pranks and stuff, Lily. We saw some amazing things."

"It was still colossally stupid." Lily was fuming. James shrugged.

"Livin' on the edge, darlin'." he smirked. She glared right back.

"Keep going."

"Well, we finally managed in fifth year. Each got our forms...you already know what mine is..." he smiled ruefully.

"A stag."

"Yeah. Sirius became a dog, Remus a wolf and Peter...Peter was a rat."

Lily snorted. "Figures."

"He wasn't too pleased." James shrugged. "But those were our shapes. We were stuck with em'. Anyways, we've been exploring since then. Mapped pretty much the whole Forest."

"That's it?" She seemed sceptical.

"That's it." He smiled ruefully. "I must say, getting attacked by a Quintaped was a first, though."

"Better be the last. I really hate playing avenging savior." Lily said drily. James chuckled.

"Never again." He looked at Lily for a moment, who stared right back, looking puzzled.

"Potter...your eyes..."

"Are lovely?" he joked. "Why, thank you."

She sighed. "They're blue again. When you're a stag, they're brown. Right after I found you, they were still brown."

He shrugged. "Aftereffects. Peter's eyes used to be smaller than normal for three, four days."

"It was your eyes that made me get swatted by that Quintaped." Lily said quietly, looking down. She started fiddling with the fringe on the chair. "I couldn't stop staring."

Jamest too lowered his gaze. "Sorry. I wasn't trying to do anything. I just couldn't see who you were."

_Liar._ the voice hissed. _You knew who she was. You just stared right back._

/Ssh./ he thought back, trying to keep his expression calm.

"It's okay. I'll just be a bit stiff for the next couple days, that's all." she looked up, a rueful smile on her face. "I'm one massive bruise from neck down."

He winced. "Ouch. Why don't you let..."

"It's a useful reminder." she interrupted. "Not to turn my back on an enemy. Ever."

"Oo-kay." James said sceptically. "At least my arm is back to normal. It was pretty mangled."

"No kidding." she said, standing up and looking at her watch. "Anyways, it's time for Transfig and I have to run. I take it you won't be at Dueling Club this evening."

"And you are?" he said, surprised.

Lily smiled ruefully. "I teach it, remember? Maybe I'll just watch..."   
"You love beating us up too much to just watch." he teased, and to his surprise, she laughed.

"You got it." She said, and turned to leave.

"Lily..." he said, feeling unfinished.

"Yes?" she said, turning back around.

James swallowed. "Thanks. If you hadn't come, we'd all probably be... erm, dead."

She smiled gently. "You're welcome. I suppose your enforced flying lessons did come in handy, after all. Thanks."

He grinned, relieved. "I told you so."

"Have a nice nap, Potter. See you this evening." she said, and left the room.

* * *

After a grueling day of classes and an even more difficult Dueling Club meeting, a very stiff Lily Evans trudged wearily to her Common Room, muscles screaming with every step.

/Oooh. Ow. Ouch. Owie./ she chanted mentally as she climbed the last flight of stairs. /I am collapsing into a nice, hot bath and never moving again. Ever./

The voice chuckled. _I told you to let Madam Pomfrey heal it._

/And I already explained.../ she began.

_Yes, yes, a reminder. Don't you think you remember by now? _the voice said pleadingly.

/No./ Lily said stubbornly, and sighed with relief as she reached the statue. It ground aside quickly, and she walked painfully into her common room, smiling a little at Potter, fast asleep on one of the couches.

/You don't think he remembers he has a bed, hmm?/ she thought playfully.

_As I recall, a certain redhead slept here only last night... _the voice teased.

/Who? Me?/ Lily replied innocently as she walked straight into the bathroom. She locked the door, turned on the water, and stripped down, wincing a little at the cloth pressed on her bruises.

/Pretty nasty looking./ she mused, poking experimentally at one of many deep purple spots on her heavily-mottled back. /Must have been a branch./

_Or an extra-knobbly tree trunk._ the voice interjected.

/Whatever./ she thought back, easing into the hot water with a groan. Relaxing once she was almost fully immersed, she stared blankly at the far wall, too tired even to muse.

/You know, when did talking to you become a regular occurrence?/ Lily asked as the thought suddenly struck her.

_About time too. _the voice replied. _I was getting pretty sick of you insisting on your insanity._

/I'm not crazy? I thought I was talking to my other personality or something./ she replied, puzzled.

_You know, that's an insult. _the voice said huffily. _I am quite happy with my own identity, thank you very much._

/Sorry. So can you tell me what you are?/ Lily asked.

_No._

/Still no answer? I'd have thought we were on good enough terms to get past that./ she thought, slightly annoyed.

_Look, it has nothing to do with whether we get along or not. I'm not allowed to tell you. _the voice said, sounding defensive. _All I can say is that I'm a presence who sometimes...well, prods you in the right direction._

/Wait a minute. You're telling me what to do?/ Lily asked, still not satisfied.

_Just the occasional little hint to make things go as they should. After all, look at last night. James dying would have been very, very bad._ the voice said appeasingly.

/But why me? Couldn't you have told Dumbledore or something?/

_Sorry. I'm stuck with you. Can't really talk to anyone else. And telling you to get Dumbledore would have taken too long. _the voice said apologetically.

/I suppose./ Lily replied, sighing. She sat there, soaking, until her water had gone stone cold. Wincing at her again-stiff muscles as she got out, she put on her bathrobe and stepped out of the bathroom.

"Hey Lily." said the now-awake James, scribbling on some parchment. "Nice bath?"

"You mean without you interrupting again?" she replied, walking towards the staircase. James chuckled.

"Well, I tried, but..." he said, looking down at his parchment again. Lily turned mock-angrily to face him, bumping hard into the bookcase. The sudden impact caused her back to explode in agony.

"GOD DAMN IT!" she shrieked, crumpling against the wall. "That _fucking_ hurts!"

"Lily? Are you okay?" James asked. She heard him get up.

"Do I look okay?" she hissed through clenched teeth. "I hit my damn back."

James winced sympathetically. "Here." she heard him say dimly. "Is the couch okay?"

"What?" she said, momentarily confused. He answered her by picking her up gently, and carrying her over to the aforementioned couch.

Lily was too stunned to really register what was happening. She winced as James laid her down. "Thanks." she managed, fingers finding and clenching a cushion.

"Any time." he replied. "Is your back really that bad?" He sat down carefully on the couch.

"Like I said, bruised from neck to knee."

"I thought you were exaggerating!" he said, shocked. "Lily, that's really serious."

"No...I'm fine." she insisted. She tried to get up, but her muscles protested too vehemently.

"Uh-huh." James said sceptically. "That's why you can't move."

"I think I need another bath." Lily moaned, managing to turn over. "I'm all tense again."

"Here." he said, and began to gently massage her back. Lily stiffened momentarily, but then relaxed as her back nearly cried with relief.

"Aaah." she sighed, giving in and feeling the tension leave her muscles. "I think...this is better...than a bath."

He chuckled. "You're welcome. Amazing, the talents one picks up when one gets hurt a lot."

Lily opened her mouth to fire off a snappy reply, but found she could not as James began to rub in small circles.

"You're definitely hired." she murmured, hearing him chuckle once more.

_Not so bad, isn't he._ the voice said quietly.

/You're interrupting. Go away./ she thought flatly, and nearly melted into the cushions as James began gently kneading her back with his knuckles.

"Better?" he asked, after a few minutes.

"Much." she replied simply. "I feel like a human being again, not a lump of pounded meat."

"Good." he said absently, running his fingers lightly up and down her spine. It made her shiver.

"Thanks." Lily said, not liking how his hands made her tremble. Summoning her strength, she sat up and smiled at him. "Of course, now I don't feel like moving."

"And I was even going to suggest dancing tonight." James teased. Lily groaned.

"No way in hell." she said, leaning her head back and closing her eyes. "I am seriously considering sleeping on the couch tonight."

"Whatever you want." James said, standing up and heading back over to his abandoned parchment. "Be warned, though- it gives you a huge crick in your neck."

"Crap." Lily muttered. The two sat in silence for a little while, Lily busy summoning up her strength to venture upstairs.

"Lily?" James asked suddenly.

"Mmm?" she replied, shakily getting to her feet.

"Er...what did we do in Dueling Club tonight?" he asked quickly.

"A lot, actually. Got into some of the more specific throws, kicks and punches. Learned a couple new spells. Started on the wooden practice swords." She tottered carefully over to the banister and looked up, wincing, at the staircase.

"Damn." he muttered. "I'm so far behind now. It's just so hard, all this stuff."

"I could help you, if you want." she offered before she really knew what she was saying. /Huh? What?/ she thought as James' face lit up.

"Really? You don't mind? That's great!" he said happily.

/Well, why not./ she thought bracingly to herself as she replied. "Well, you are teaching me how to dance. And giving me excellent massages."

He shrugged. "Not a big deal. Just helping out."

"Same for you." she pointed out. "Though I'm probably pretty bad at massaging."

James grinned. "It's all in the hands."

"I do other things with my hands." Lily heard herself saying. She blushed furiously as she realized what she had said.

"Uh..." James said, a blush rising in his cheeks as well.

"Well, er, goodnight." she said, turning and slowly making her way up the stairs.

"'Night." she heard him say softly, and she smiled.

/He really isn't so bad./ she realized, closing her door behind her. Leaning her forehead against the wall, she remembered how she had felt in his arms, how his hands had made her skin tingle. Unknowingly, she blushed slightly.

_Now, what have I been telling you all this time?_ the voice said patronisingly, completely ruining her daydreaming.

/I'll probably regret it in the morning./ Lily replied acidly, but somehow, she couldn't stop smiling.

* * *

Lord Voldemort sat, staring obsessively at the attack plan of Hogwarts on the wall.

"Soon, Nagini. Soon, now." he crooned absently, stroking the snake. He turned as one of his faithful Death Eaters entered.

"What news?" he hissed, eyes widening with anticipation.

"M-m-my lord, we, er, have a problem." the man said quickly, stuttering in his fear. "The Quintapeds have, erm, broken the alliance."

"I beg your pardon?" Lord Voldemort said, his tone changing effortlessly from pleased to dangerous. His eyes narrowed as he snatched the man by the throat, bringing him in closer.

"Say...they saw...a demon, Lord...won't...go back...already...gone..." the man choked. Voldemort's face twisted in an ugly sneer.

"This is a disaster! They were a huge part of our offensive!" he hissed, spraying the man with spit. "You worthless piece of scum!" He flung the man across the room.

"P-p-please forgive me, L-l-lord." the man coughed, crawling back and kissing the hem of Voldemort's robes. "I c-c-could not do anything."

"Call all the troops back." the Dark Lord ordered, turning and striding back to the map on the wall. "We must rethink our strategy." Face twisted in anger, he ripped the map from the wall, scattering flashing counters like rain.

"Of course, Lord." the man breathed, getting to his feet.

"Remember, Malfoy." Voldemort turned, voice cold. "The Dark Lord does not forget." He levelled his wand at the man, who began to gibber in terror.

"P-p-p-please, Lord...I b-b-beg you, Lord..."

"CRUCIO!" Voldemort yelled, and the screams of Malfoy Senior echoed hauntingly among the hills.


End file.
